


Ring My Bell

by elesbells, Snowy38



Category: Harry Styles - Fandom, Larry Stylinson - Fandom, Louis Tomlinson - Fandom, One Direction (Band)
Genre: All The Love, Boxing, Grease - Freeform, Gym, Gym bunny Harry, Hate to Love, Holistic, Japan, M/M, Mechanic Louis, Shiba Inu - Freeform, T-Bird Louis, Zen Harry, all the sex, chakras, mix up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-14
Updated: 2019-03-29
Packaged: 2019-11-18 03:36:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 33,226
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18112484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elesbells/pseuds/elesbells, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snowy38/pseuds/Snowy38
Summary: “That’s Bell,” Niall added as he rifled around the desk for the paperwork he apparently required.“Oh,” Harry stared back, surprised.He got to one knee and offered a friendly hand towards the dog.“Hey, Belle, how are you? Everything good today?” He asked, the dog venturing forward to sniff Harry’s hand and licking it once it was deemed safe.Harry shifted to fuss the dog more fully; admiring the ginger and white colourings; alert ears and soft brown eyes.“Who’s a good girl, then?” Harry grinned. “Are you a good girl?”Bell surged forward to lick his cheek; earning a chuckle from Harry who hugged the dog easily in his arms.“She’s gorgeous,” he commented as he let himself be licked hello.“Oh, Bell belongs to T-Boss,” Niall offered. “I’m just dog-sitting until he gets back. Right, I got the form here,” Niall added, slapping down a crumpled page of A4.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi All  
> Thanks to Eles for helping me to write this one. Please leave a comment :)
> 
> Ang

 

“Erm…hello?”

Harry Styles poked his head into the thin gap created between the two large iron doors fronting up the building with the sign emblazoned T BIRD Garage.

The Japanese translation was painted underneath the English version; artful brush-strokes drawing his eye upwards to appreciate the talent in that hand-painted wording.

“Just coming!” Called an Irish voice, Harry slouching back patiently with a yawn; fingertips rubbing his puffy eye to try and wipe away some of his exhaustion.

“What can I do you for?” A shorter brunette man popped into the gap; sliding apart the doors to open the front of the car repair shop fully. “We’ve only just opened, see? It’s a bit early for our usual customers,” he added with a smirk.

Harry nodded.

“Um. I crashed my car,” he ventured, flicking his eyes away shamefully.

“Happens a lot,” The Irish man replied, eyeing him from head to toe. “Where is it, then?” He asked when Harry just stood there.

“Oh it’s-it’s outside, actually. At the um, at the curb,” Harry stood back and gestured down the cemented forecourt to where a 1949 Mercury was haphazardly pulled up; white-walled tyres perched up on the curb at an odd angle; the passenger side bearing an ugly-looking scrape.

The mechanic whistled, long and low.

“Oh boy,” he murmured.

Harry winced.

“Yeah, I know…”

“How did you manage that?” The brunette looked at him.

Harry pressed his lips together; fingers pushing into thick, curly hair.

“There was a serow* in the road,” Harry mumbled. “I had to swerve to avoid her and I hit this ancient stone wall and well—Freddie got damaged.”

“Freddie?” The mechanic snorted mockingly.

“Mercury?” Harry questioned, hoping he’d get it. “It’s a Mercury so I had to call it Freddie…”

The man gave him the kind of withering look that Harry had grown used to receiving.

“Right,” he smiled wanly, sticking out his hand. “I’m Niall, I’m the second-in-command around here, the boss isn’t coming in until later today,” he explained in fast diction that Harry struggled to keep up with. “But he’s your man for body work and old-timers like this one.”

“Harry,” Harry introduced himself with a handshake.

Niall whistled again, a grin appearing on his lips. “T-Boss is going to love this,” Niall mused softly to himself.

 _T-Boss_. Harry noted the name with a derisive smirk. The owner clearly had an unhealthy infatuation with the movie _Grease_ and felt the need to refer to himself as one of the cool characters of the film, matching the name of his garage.

“Um, will he be safe here?” Harry checked as he followed Niall back up the forecourt to get booked in.

“It’ll be fine,” Niall waved a hand dismissively. “T-Boss will look after your precious vintage car, don’t you worry.”

Just as Harry was approaching the desk; a beautiful tan dog walked around it to stare at him.

“That’s Bell,” Niall added as he rifled around the desk for the paperwork he apparently required.

“Oh,” Harry stared back, surprised.

He got to one knee and offered a friendly hand towards the dog.

“Hey, Belle, how are you? Everything good today?” He asked, the dog venturing forward to sniff Harry’s hand and licking it once it was deemed safe.

Harry shifted to fuss the dog more fully; admiring the ginger and white colourings; alert ears and soft brown eyes.

“Who’s a good girl, then?” Harry grinned. “Are you a good girl?”

Bell surged forward to lick his cheek; earning a chuckle from Harry who hugged the dog easily in his arms.

“She’s gorgeous,” he commented as he let himself be licked hello.

“Oh, Bell belongs to T-Boss,” Niall offered. “I’m just dog-sitting until he gets back. Right, I got the form here,” Niall added, slapping down a crumpled page of A4.

Harry reluctantly stood up, fingers grooving through thick, tan fur as he did so.

“Okay,” he filled in the form with his details and took a deep breath. “Do you think your boss can repaint him?” He asked worriedly.

Niall winked.

“It’ll be better than new, I promise.”

Harry let out a relieved sigh.

“Alright. Let me know when he’s ready to collect.”

“Will do.”

Harry gave one last, slow stroke over Bell’s head.

“Goodbye, Belle.”

Bell barked in reply and whined softly as Harry loped away.

 

//

 

It wasn’t like Bell to be moody.

Louis had bought his beloved Shiba Inu as a puppy and the pair of them had bonded quickly through training sessions and then working out together in the bustling streets of Mito.

When he could, he’d hike up to the ridge and take Bell on a cross-country run; his playful young dog making friends with other dogs they happened to meet along the way.

The truth was, everybody loved Bell. They loved Bell more than they loved Louis and Louis wasn’t even sorry because Bell was near-human; his very best friend aside from Niall. Niall Horan had emigrated to the Japanese city from Ireland four years ago; hired by Louis to be his right-hand-man at his garage after he walked in and boldly told Louis to give him a job.

T BIRD was his pride and joy. From the age of twelve when the film Grease had firmly planted itself as Louis’ most favourite film; allowing him to dance and sing along to its retro, camp giddiness, he’d been determined to reflect the meaning that film had on him throughout his adult life.

Opening his own garage had come after years of hard, gruelling work. It had come after scrimping and saving and going without for so long that he almost forgot why life was worth living and then suddenly, things had started coming together.

His friend Stan owned a warehouse in Mito and was moving to New Zealand with his wife. He’d offered the space to Louis, knowing he was looking to open his own garage one day; only Louis hadn’t _exactly_ pictured that place being Japan. Still, he was a man willing to pitch all of his dreams into one crazy adventure and he’d flown out from London committed to making it work.

He’d slept in the cold, draughty shell of brick and corrugated iron until he’d built his workshop and started pulling in paying customers and now he was well-known among the locals. Bell had helped endear some of the more reluctant natives; drawing the die-hards onto the forecourt with his playful nature and then Louis began to let Bell roam the block; freely visiting the other traders there.

Niall was there when Louis had to run out for parts from the city and life was steady. Louis liked steady.

He didn’t like a miserable Bell.

“What’s up, buddy?” Louis asked as Bell - _laid by his feet as he assessed the damage on a vintage Mercury-_ lifted his head from his paws; giving him a doe-eyed whine.

“I don’t speak mutt,” Louis reminded his pet gently; bending down to ruffle his fur. “Are you hungry?”

Louis had gotten to the garage mid-afternoon. Niall had assured him that Bell had been fed early in the day before opening but Louis often gave him a second, smaller meal when he ate his own lunch. He had skipped lunch and felt quite hungry himself.

“Shall we get a snack?” Louis narrated as he walked toward the small kitchenette encased at the back of the warehouse.

He poured some dry kibble for Bell and grabbed a foil-wrapped sandwich from the fridge. Luckily for Louis, Niall’s partner Hailee took pity on him and made him lunch every day alongside Niall’s. Louis wondered when he had become a twenty-six-year-old man who still required molly-coddling. He really should start bringing his own lunch. And trying to cook in the evenings instead of microwaving a crappy single meal or stirring up a Pot Noodle to scoff in front of the TV.

Bell looked at his bowl and then looked at Louis.

“What?” Louis asked. “Has someone been feeding you again?” He wondered.

He remembered when kind old Mrs. Uchima had befriended Bell on his neighbourhood travels; cooking him fresh steak and serving it with green beans in a pretty bowl. It had taken Louis several weeks to train him back into eating his own less-deluxe food.

Bell whined and scratched at the smooth cold floor.

“What is it buddy? Do your teeth hurt?” Louis knelt to have a look; not finding anything untoward about Bell’s teeth. He checked his tongue, ears and legs for any painful lesions and found nothing; just an anxious Shiba staring at him. “Not sure what you want me to do,” he murmured, worriedly.

Belly let out a huff and turned to trot away; laying again beside the car Louis had been looking at. He got up and went back to his work; pulling on his overalls to start the sanding work on the scraped-up car.

//

 

“Who brought in the car?” Louis asked when Niall got back from his late lunch break.

“Some guy,” Niall replied. “Kinda tall. You’d have liked him,” he added with a small smile.

Louis rolled his eyes.

“What because I’m gay?” He derided. “That doesn’t default me into liking any guy who walks through those doors, Nialler.”

“Not because you’re gay, Lou,” he argued. “Because he was tall.”

“Right,” Louis nodded. “I only date tall men.”

Niall gave him a bemused glance.

“You don’t actually date at all,” he accused. “Why is that again?”

“Too busy,” Louis shrugged. “Gotta say I’ve missed working on the classics, though,” he breathed; running his fingers over the front passenger door that he had removed that very afternoon and laid on his workbench to sand down to the base before he repainted it.

“Isn’t this _your_ car?” Niall considered then with a concentrated frown.

“What?” Louis countered, confused.

“The car from your favourite film…the one with the lightning bolts…”

Louis let out a wet snort.

“Yeah, it’s the same car,” he smiled.

“Louis!” Niall gasped.

Louis looked at him, slipping his goggles from his eyes into his hair.

“I guess he likes the movie too,” Louis shrugged.

“But this is _perfect_!” Niall stared at him as though the world was becoming right somehow. “He’s got your car and he’s tall and you like tall guys and— _fuck_! I couldn’t have made this shit up!”

Louis arched his brow with an impatient sigh.

“Niall, what _are_ you on about?”

“I’m going to set you two up,” Niall stated.

Louis choked.

“You are _not_!”

Niall nodded, gaining traction, Bell lifting his head to bark his agreement.

“Yes! See, even Bell knows this is genius and he met him!”

“You are not setting me up with a customer,” Louis stated firmly.

“Wait ‘til he comes to pay. I’m gonna find out if he likes boys. Small ones.”

“Where have you got this idea that I like tall guys anyway?” Louis snapped; lifting the car door from the bench and laying it on the blanket on the floor; carrying the back door to his bench to start sanding that one down, too.

Niall gave him a long look.

“You like that guy in that kinky film,” Niall pointed out.

“You mean Jamie Dornan?” Louis checked. And _yeah_ , he supposed that Jamie was kind of tall, but so what?

“The one that whips people for kicks,” Niall described.

Louis sent him a withering look.

“It’s called BDSM, Niall, look it up.”

Bell jumped up from his laid position the floor; tail wagging and tongue lolling out of his mouth as he began to bark animatedly.

“What the heck’s got into you?” Louis asked, bemused.

Bell trotted to the open doorway; pausing on the front drive obediently. He woofed and looked over his shoulder at Louis.

“Alright, but be careful!” Louis called. “Not everyone is friendly in this neighbourhood. Come straight back if you meet any punks, alright?”

Belly barked once more before bounding off.

Louis frowned at his co-worker and friend.

“Do you think he’s met someone?”

Niall rolled his eyes, patting Louis’ arm.

“As long as he comes home to you, buddy,” he assured.

 

//

 

Louis was just locking up when Bell came galloping up the drive; sitting beside Louis’ leg and looking up at him with innocent eyes.

“Where have you been, eh?” Louis wondered; something bright catching his eye on Bell’s collar. “What’s this, mmm?”

He got to his knee to pet his dog; allowing a sloppy doggy kiss before his fingers found his leather collar; tugging it around until the adornment was visible. A large white daisy with a yellow centre was tucked into the band; a rich purple ribbon tied in a bow and a smiley-faced pumpkin wired onto the leather in a charming trio.

“Oh,” Louis regarded Bell seriously. “So, you _do_ have someone else.”

Bell, seemingly sensing Louis’ sadness, jumped up slightly to press his paws onto Louis’ thighs; rubbing his cheek against Louis’ hair affectionately and letting out a few soft; happy barks.

“Alright, I get it,” he sighed quietly. “You still like me,” he smiled into Bell’s face as the dog jumped down to lick his hand. “Let’s go home then. Hope they haven’t been feeding you…”

 

//

 

When Harry jogged up the street leading to the T BIRD Garage, he was wearing his sports leggings under long shorts and a grey hoodie; a pink beanie pulled over his hair and fingerless gloves on his hands. It wasn’t cold enough for full gloves yet and Harry liked wearing mittens which always drew a few odd glances in his direction.

It was early, but the sun was up and it was promising to be a bright day once the initial cloud shifted.

“Ohayogozaimasu,” he greeted a fellow early jogger with a polite smile as he caught his breath a little.

“Oi!” Came a loud, Irish voice, bringing Harry’s head up where he had bent over to clutch his knees. “Oh—it’s you,” Niall grinned when he recognised Harry.

Harry smiled and walked up the forecourt.

“Hi. I just thought I’d check in on Freddie if that’s okay?”

Niall’s brows lifted.

“Sure, come inside,” he gestured. He turned at the wide doors and pressed a hand to Harry’s chest. “Look, don’t be alarmed, okay? It’s not finished yet,” he warned.

“Okay?” Harry followed him into the protective shelter of the warehouse and walked over to where his car was being worked on.

The two impacted doors were missing from the chassis of the car; laid carefully on blankets on the floor; bare except for a light coating of grey paint which drew his brows together in confusion.

“Your boss does know he’s white, doesn’t he?” Harry hedged.

Niall laughed.

“Yeah, he knows! That’s undercoat, Harry. Don’t you worry, T-Boss is working on it every day.”

The scattering sound of claws on cement surged into the room, Bell appearing from a back room to run towards him excitedly.

“Easy, Belle!” Harry chuckled; crouching to receive the dog with fond nuzzles. “Where were you, out the back looking for treats?”

“Bell likes to drink out of the toilet,” Niall rolled his eyes.

“His owner isn’t here again?” Harry glanced up, mildly concerned.

“Nah, he goes into the city each morning for parts,” Niall explained. “Doesn’t like to drag Bell into the smog and get stuck in traffic.”

“Oh,” Harry nodded; biting his lip as he stroked Bell’s fur. “I don’t suppose I could take Belle along on my run?”

Niall narrowed his eyes.

“You’re not a dog-napper are you?”

“Not sure I’d tell you if I was,” Harry retorted with a brow-arch. “Plus, you have my car for collateral.”

“Alright, yeah,” Niall moved to fetch the leash.

Harry fingered the bow and pumpkin with a soft smile.

“Here you go,” Niall gave him the lead. “Don’t be long, T-Boss’ll be back soon.”

“Wouldn’t want to upset the great Danny Zuko,” Harry murmured under his breath as he clipped the lead to Bell’s collar and began to walk out. “See you soon!” He added to Niall.

 

//

 

“I’m going to have to put a note on his collar,” Louis said decidedly as he munched on his tuna sandwich delivered from Hailee via Niall.

“Why?” Niall wondered; feet rested up on the lunch table as he balanced his chair on the back two legs and read a vehicle manual whilst scoffing his pasty.

“Because he’s not eating,” Louis gestured to the uncharacteristically un-hungry Bell.

“Probably tired,” Niall shrugged.

Niall glanced at the Shiba who he noticed had collapsed when he returned from his run with Harry and drank two whole bowls of water.

“Why would he be tired?” Louis narrowed his lashes.

Niall shrugged. “All the running around he does.”

Louis stared at him suspiciously.

“That’s the problem,” Louis sighed. “I don’t want to reign him in, but I can’t have another Uchima incident,” he mused.

“Oh, the prime steak!” Niall remembered with a giggle. “Fucking hell. Poor mutt,” he added sympathetically. “Eating kibble now, aren’t ya?”

“Or not,” Louis mused.

“Tie a note on the ribbon,” Niall suggested.

Louis tore off a piece of note-pad, greased fingers blackening the edges.

 _Dear stranger, please do not feed me. I have a special diet and a worried parent who thinks I may be ill because I’m not eating. I love being petted and played with though_ 😊

Niall glanced at the note Louis showed him.

“Put some pretty flowers and hearts on it,” Niall suggested.

Louis rolled his eyes and drew a few rough shapes.

“Right,” he rolled it up and tied it with the ribbon, the daisy having died but the wooden pumpkin still firmly attached to his collar. “Very handsome,” he told Bell as the dog shifted to lick him.

Bell set off for the door; pausing again once he crossed the threshold.

“Go on then, love me and leave me,” Louis accused.

Bell raced off into the world.

//

 

“Don’t feed you?” Harry looked from the note to Bell with a frown. “What does he mean, don’t feed you? You’re clearly _starving_!” He huffed as Bell gobbled up the freshly poached chicken Harry laid in a bowl with a few slices of carrot.

Bell looked at him while he chewed on his meat.

“Of course I’m going to feed you,” Harry added petulantly; taking a seat on the sofa in the staff-room to drink his kale smoothie. “What kind of philistine do you belong to?”

Bell woofed.

“Just because he drew a few hearts and flowers doesn’t mean he can leave you for hours on end without food,” Harry reasoned with the animal.

Bell moved to nudge between his knees; body wiggling and snout sniffing out his goods.

“Hey!” Harry giggled; pushing him away gently. “That’s not on the menu!”

Bell barked and leapt back playfully.

“Oh, you want to play?” Harry guessed; fingers pushing his pink headscarf bandana back a little in his hair. “Let me see what we have…”

He walked over to the kitchen worktop where he had already filled the top drawer with dog-safe toys.

“Tug of war?” Harry pulled out a toy with strong ropes and balls attached.

Bell quickly crouched onto his front paws to play; earning a chuckle from Harry as he sat down to join him.

 

//

 

“Still not hungry, huh?” Louis asked his dog as Bell glanced at his bowl and looked at Louis questioningly. “I’m taking you to the vet just for a check-up,” he decided, grabbing his lead. “They said we could slide in first thing before they open,” he added as he picked Bell up to carry him to the truck.

The vetinary centre was only a short drive from both his place and the garage; run by efficient bosses and polite staff. Nearly everyone in Japan was polite, in fact. Massively respectful and poised, somehow, in a way that Louis would never learn to be. Despite his rough-around-the-edges look, they were always pleased to see him and Bell arrive.

“What’s the matter with Bell?” Anna asked as Louis booked him in.

“No appetite,” he shared with a sad smile. “Whining more than usual…just seems a bit down,” he observed.

He repeated the same to the Vet; who checked Bell’s teeth and body; feeling his tail for any abscesses or bone deformities and coming up blank.

“His stomach feels full,” Dr. Kobayashi concluded with a curious glance to Louis.

“Excuse me?”

“He has food in his stomach,” the Doctor repeated. “He has eaten recently.”

Louis’ mouth fell open.

“But I put a note on his collar!” He defended. “Sometimes he likes to go on his own adventures but I deliberately asked people not to feed him to make sure that—”

The vet smiled kindly.

“The food is not making him sick, perhaps you just need to keep him inside for a few days.”

Louis nodded with a tight clench of his teeth.

“Damn right I do,” he muttered as he led Bell back to the car.

 

//

 

“Fifty dollars!” Louis yelled as he arrived at work.

Niall startled, having been working on the underside of a Honda; quietly singing along to the radio.

“What was fifty dollars?” He called out.

“The vet bill,” Louis relayed. “To tell me that he’s fine. He’s more than fine, in fact. He’s being fed.”

Niall wheeled himself out from underneath the jacked-up car.

“That’s good, right?”

Louis glared at him.

“Have you forgotten the note?”

“The note?” Niall frowned; clearly having forgotten about the note.

“The note I wrote telling people not to feed him!” Louis yelled.

Bell whined and scampered to sit by Niall who soothed him.

“Hey boy,” Niall greeted softly with a stroke. “Oh, the note,” he added. “Maybe it fell off.”

“Maybe it—” Louis rolled his eyes. “Somebody is feeding my dog, Niall.”

“Write another note,” Niall suggested. “With bigger hearts. In Japanese.”

Louis shifted his furious gaze from his friend to his dog.

“He came back with bluebells yesterday. Bluebells! I mean who in the hell has bluebells in Japan?!”

“Bell?” Niall answered with a hopeful smile.

“Fuck,” Louis realised the implication a second too late.

“Think it’s quite sweet, actually,” his friend added with a smirk.

“You would.”

“Which reminds me, Harry dropped in again the other morning.”

“Who’s Harry?” Louis moved into the workroom to get his overalls on.

“The guy whose car you’re touching up,” Niall reminded.

“Oh. Is he in a hurry for it?”

“Nah, think he’s just worried you’re going to fuck it up,” Niall replied candidly.

Louis strode over to the door-frames and slipped his goggles on.

“Didn’t you tell him how good I am?”

“Funnily enough mate, guys don’t find your ego a turn on,” Niall teased. “And since I’m matchmaking the pair of you, I’d rather not go in with the deal-breakers…”

Louis twisted to stick his middle finger up at his buddy from across the room.

“I’m under the car, I can’t see you!” Niall yelled, wheeling himself back underneath the chassis of the Honda.

“I flipped a birdie,” Louis replied with a smile.

“Don’t tell me…a T-Birdie,” he cackled to himself at his pun.

Louis just rolled his eyes.

 

//

 

It was 3am when Bell’s insistent whining woke Louis up.

He got up out of his warm bed, scampered across the room to open his bedroom door and raced Bell back to the bed; finding his dog bouncing energetically on the covers.

“Bell, the sun isn’t even up yet,” he grumbled; looping an arm over his back. “C’mon let’s snuggle for a bit?”

Bell pawed him until he realised Louis wasn’t going to be shifted; lolling onto his back in a cute rolling motion; all four legs curled up with his tongue out.

“Bell, I’m tired,” Louis fussed his tummy a bit. “Go to sleep.”

Bell flopped onto his side and wriggled closer to lick Louis’ eye.

“Love you too,” Louis mumbled, drifting back to sleep.

 

//

 

Louis was about to open the garage doors when the distant soft pounding sound of trainers hitting asphalt drifted into his consciousness.

It was 6.30am. Far too early for anyone to be out running. Convinced he might be about to witness the crime of the century, perhaps a burglar getting away on foot, Louis gathered the doors closer together and poked one eye into the gap.

Just as he focused his one eye on the pavement out front, a long and lean body clothed in pale yellow Adidas pants and a tatty _Kiss_ t-shirt forged along the path approaching the garage and headed purposefully towards the junction.

And _alright_ , his dark glasses were perhaps a _little_ pretentious but actually other than that, the guy was young and fit and good-looking. And evidently _not_ committing a crime other than being far too energetic before sunrise.

Bell jumped up from his dog-bed and began to bark, Louis instantly instructing him to be quiet. When he returned to his peeping place, the runner had paused, glancing up the drive towards the building; as if in two minds whether to approach. He had earphone buds tucked into his ears, so Louis was certain he couldn’t have heard Bell barking and any way, it was too far to really hear or see well.

When the man set off again after a breather, Louis let his gaze enjoy the thick bunch of his thighs and the cute rounded package of his ass, lips quirking into a pleased smile as he turned back inside.

Bell was whining and fidgeting incessantly in his bed.

“You can’t say hello to everyone,” Louis scruffed him. “I’ll get you some breakfast,” he added gently.

//

“So, uh...do you ever see a guy around here jogging?” Louis asked Niall at lunch. “You know, when you open up?”

Niall snapped his head across to look at Louis so fast that it made Louis startle.

“What does he look like?”

Louis eyed him warily.

“Long legs...brown hair in a little clip thingy,” he gestured to his own head ineffectively.

“ _Tall_ you say?” Niall smirked.

Louis sighed.

“Yes, I suppose you might say that...”

“Dunno,” Niall shrugged. “Get a few runners first thing. Why Lou, you wanna take up jogging?”

Louis picked up the manual laid on the table and pretended to read it.

“No reason, just wondered, that’s all.”

“Mmhmm,” Niall grinned knowingly. “That’s _all_ , Lou...”

“Fuck off,” Louis threw the book at Niall and caught him on the arm with it.

“Hey that's expensive equipment you’re damaging there,” Niall defended. “Fixing up _your_ cars,” he added with a show of his tongue.

“Whatever,” Louis replied. “I can make it on my own.”

Niall gasped and jumped up, snatching Louis' sandwich out of his mouth and his hand.

“Take it back Tommo! You’d be half starved if it wasn’t for my Missus.”

Louis wrinkled his nose at Niall’s grimy fingers clutching his half-eaten lunch.

“Think I might just walk down to Wangs and grab a noodle pot...”

“Oh, get me one,” Niall instantly begged. “Please, Lou.”

“What do you want?” Louis took Niall's order as he tethered up Bell. “Back soon,” he added before he left.

//

It was already crammed in Wangs when Louis forced himself into the queue, tucking himself behind the door cosily. He was just about to change his mind and try the mini-mart for Pot-Noodles instead when another patron wedged themself through the door.

Louis looked up as the newcomer looked down, a tall young man with—

 _Fuck_.

It was _him_. The _jogger_.

“Oh, sorry,” the man apologised in a deep, soft voice. “Didn’t see you um... _there_ ,” he bumbled.

Louis blinked. His fringe was secured in a brown claw-clip he'd had in his hair before, but his hair looked a bit greasy and now he had on a massive pair of round-lensed pink glasses and a black silk bomber jacket.

“Yeah,” Louis huffed, rolling his eyes. He couldn’t leave now if he wanted to, there wasn’t enough room to slide out. “Some of us aren’t blessed with long legs like you,” he mused, lifting his chin to arch a brow and tilt his head defensively.

“Oh no I didn’t mean—um,” The man looked at Louis' legs with a twist of his lips. “Nothing wrong with your legs.” He assured and Louis thought he was done talking but then he licked his lips, parting them to speak again. “I mean you have a strong set of thighs and...um, your...”

The stranger gestured at Louis’ behind.

Louis’ brows rose further on his forehead. He’d taken his overalls off to walk to the shops, his favourite skinnies teamed with a t-shirt.

“Bum?”

The young man cleared his throat. “Well yeah um, it’s...kinda...perfect, actually...”

“Thanks,” Louis replied bemusedly, the young man's gaze finally lifting to his face.

Something weird happened when their eyes met. Louis' breath caught in his lungs and his body was rendered immobile. Holy _Jesus._ He’d thought the guy looked attractive jogging along the pavement but up close he was _bewitching_. Louis shuffled along in the queue, the newcomer stumbling when another customer charged in.

Louis steadied him with a hand to his arm. Clutched over his bicep to be precise. A bicep which felt oddly thick considering the lean look of the man. And Louis was touching a stranger. _Shit_.

He twisted to check the progress of the queue, his ass inadvertently brushing the stranger’s thigh.

“Sorry,” he cast over his shoulder.

“Don’t be,” the man assured with a silky tone that had the hairs on the back of Louis' neck standing up.

“Next!” The server called Louis into the chaos at the counter where crowds of people were collecting their orders.

Louis quickly moved over to place his request, swallowed by the others waiting.

“Guess I’ll see you around,” Louis threw a wave at the jogging guy leaned up against the wall a few feet away as he struggled to push himself through the swarm, but the guy had already tucked his ear buds in and was staring at his phone screen with a concentrated pout. “Or not,” Louis murmured to himself as he left the shop.

When he got outside he sighed. “So much for having a perfect ass...”

//

 

The day Bell disappeared was a normal Friday by most counts.

Louis got up to run his truck to the city to fetch parts, leaving Bell with Niall until he got back.

Bell was eating again but still kept giving Louis soulful, pleading looks which he couldn’t fathom but other than that he seemed fine.

Niall opened the doors a bit earlier than normal, grinning as he recognised Harry waiting outside on the wall, dressed in white trainers and long shorts, a white t-shirt matching his outfit. The arms of a bright pink sweatshirt were tied around his shoulders.

“Hi!” Harry pulled his ear buds out and started up the drive. “I got a message saying Freddie was ready,” he called.

“Ready Freddie,” Niall snorted.

“I can’t wait to see him!” Harry enthused, face warming into a boyish smile.

“T-man has done a stellar job,” Niall commented just as Bell ran up to greet Harry.

“Hey, gorgeous,” Harry murmured.  “We going for a run today?”

Bell barked happily.

“Alright,” he soothed. “See what we can find for your collar today, hm?”

Niall glanced at him, one brow raised.

“ _You’re_ the one putting flowers in the collar?” He mused.

Harry smiled.

“Yeah. Did you get the Bluebells? I know she’s not blue but...”

“Oh, we got them alright,” Niall assured with a smug smile. “Did you get the note?”

“About feeding her?” Harry asked. 

“So that was you too, huh...”

Harry stood up.

“Is there a problem?”

“No!” Niall denied quickly. “Not at all. You just carry on, mate...”

“Is the owner not here today?” He looked around expectantly.

“Er...not right now. He’s back later if you want to chat to him.”

Harry smiled.

“Can I see Freddie now?”

Niall handed him the keys and walked over to where the covered car was parked, dramatically ripping off the nylon sheet.

“Ta-daaaa!” He called.

Harry froze.

Because what—

_What the fuck was **that**?!_

“What the--"

“Now, it’s not the original paint, we know. Tommo couldn’t get the exact shade, so it might not look _exactly_ like the body but-"

“It’s got fucking _glitter_ on it!” Harry gaped, horrified.

“Oh, those are lightning bolts,” Niall explained as though Harry couldn’t see that for himself. “He’s left you an envelope on the front seat,” he added.

Harry stalked over to the car and snatched the envelope up off the leather, eyes glued to the monstrosity painted on the side of his once immaculate car.

“I mean just...why would you? Why would you ruin an absolute _classic_ with gaudy fucking glitter zigzags?!”

“It’s like the car in Grease,” Niall ventured, eyeing him nervously like he was worried Harry might actually start getting violent. “Look, we can repaint it,” he offered quickly. “Just do it back plain and-"

Harry turned sharply, gesturing Bell to follow.

“I’m not taking that sacrilegious vehicle home,” he said. “You can tell your boss I’ll be back,” he added.

 

//

 

Harry waited until he got to the gym to open his invoice for Freddie.

LION ZEN had taken him three years to build from scratch and it wasn’t _just_ a gym. It was a holistic experience, a lifestyle choice.

There were seven rooms in all, representing each of the Chakras. For the Root Chakra he had a smoothie bar serving fresh, healthy shakes and flavoured vitamin waters; complete with its own photograph wall depicting a peaceful Japanese garden with a red bridge and traditional trees.

For the Sacral Chakra there was a massage room offering spa treatments and then there was a martial arts room which was designed to reflect the Solar Plexus Chakra in bright lemon yellows.

A whole waterfall wall was running in the Zen Zone where live plants created a tranquil indoor garden; the Heart Chakra being one of Harry’s personal favourites. Yoga and Tai Chi classes were available there, along with meditative sessions.

The front desk was designed in shades of blue for the Throat Chakra of communication and that led into the purple- themed Third Eye room. Among his traditional gym equipment, he had placed yoga mats where calming music was played into big headphones and small cleansing pools were interspersed with soft green towels and tiny Buddhist fountains.

Lastly came the pink Chakra- Spirituality and Beauty. Harry had installed three hot pools and a sauna and decorated in soft cherry blossom patterns that his arty friend Zayn had painted beautifully on the walls.

He was proud to call it his own having worked so hard to create an exclusive, high quality centre of well-being; something he wasn’t sure he would actually achieve until customers began to sign up in their droves.

He walked through the main gym to let himself into the security-carded staff room to make sure they had supplies for the staff for the day.

He plopped onto the sofa, Bell trotting along beside him and quickly nestling into his lap.

“Your owner doesn’t love you does he?” Harry pursed his lips in a kiss. “Kissy, Belle. Hm? _I_ love you, beautiful. Why don’t you come and live with me?”

Bell settled with a yawn. Harry ruffled his fur gently before ripping open his envelope.

It wasn’t an invoice. It was a _note_. Harry frowned.

_Dear Mr. Styles,_

_I couldn’t fail to notice that you brought your 1949 Mercury to the T BIRD Garage and if that isn’t fate, what is? Hope you like the Greased Lightning ××)_

_I checked her over and Sandy is in great condition._

_Billing:_

_Paint: ¥300_

_Labour: ¥300_

_Payable to T BIRD Garage._

_All the best_

_Louis_

 

Louis _._

So _that_ was the name of the imbecile who had defaced his beautiful Freddie. And _Sandy?_ Did his car _look_ like a Sandy?

He snorted. How about the fuck _not?_

And ¥600! For a paint job he hadn’t _asked_ for. The man was clearly deluded on several levels. Not only did he imagine himself to be part of a movie that was made forty years ago; but he thought it was clever to force his obsession onto everyone else who just happened to own a car that appeared in the movie.

Well, Harry didn’t want lightning bolts on Freddie; as much as the _real_ Freddie Mercury might have appreciated them. He wanted his car painted _white_. As it should be. And he was going to go and tell the moron that when he bothered to actually turn up for work at his own garage.

Oh, he had a _few_ things to say to this _Louis_ person, actually.

_Including a few tips on how to take care of his dog._

//

“Wonder where Bell’s got to,” Louis mused as he locked up, his dog nowhere in sight.

“Probably got a girlfriend,” Niall mused.

“Hope not, I can’t afford the alimony,” Louis joked.

“Just take a stroll around the block, Tommo. He can’t have got far...”

“Yeah,” Louis nodded, running fingers into his work-grimed hair. “See you on Monday.”

“See ya, T-Bird.”

Louis waved him off and started his search for Bell.

//

 

After half an hour of becoming panicked and a little frantic, Louis was finally headed in the direction of the gym across the block. Mrs. Uchima had pointed him along the pavement until Louis’ eyes had settled on the large, gaudy sign painted with the words ライオン禅 (LION ZEN).

A huge lion’s head made up the outline of the sign; the words fitting under the jaw. Louis had rolled his eyes as he’d started into a jog to reach it before it closed. He knew of the place, of course. Had heard everyone talking about it; buzzing excitedly about the spiritual centre about to open up; something Louis had managed to ignore successfully. A flyer had come around to announce the grand opening; free sushi and Amazake tempting the hoards.

Louis preferred steak and a beer.

Needless to say; he hadn’t attended the opening three years ago and having seen the prices they charged for their most basic gym package; suffice to say he’d never be able to attend in the current millennium unless he won the lottery and had a lobotomy.

Still, they were harbouring his dog. And so, he’d have to stomach the namby-pamby foolishness he expected to find once he was inside the doors.

 

//

 

The building was gigantic.

Louis let himself in through the front; a welcoming reception area painted in the kind of blue that matched his eyes. He immediately craned his neck around the empty space to look for an attendant; eyes flicking back to the desk for instructions when nobody came.

 **Please chime the gong** , a small sign instructed; a miniature gong set on the counter-top which was waist-high; a suitably tiny beater tethered to its frame where the metal disc hung.

“You have got to be kidding me?” Louis sighed; picking up the beater between his fingers; tapping the gong gently.

It let out quite a loud; abundant sound; surely loud enough for someone in the next neighbourhood to hear.

“Hello?” Louis began to move through the gym area; wrinkling his nose at the pools of water sunken into the floor and the trickling water-features shaped like temples.

“Don’t you need to pee all the time with that going?” He wondered to himself; rounding the corner to head for the next room; green tones drawing him in.

It was a botanical horror in there.

If Louis wasn’t there for the sole purpose of rightfully retrieving his beloved pet then he would have turned and walked out right then. Who the fuck—?

The gushing sound of water hadn’t been lost on him but as he ventured his eyes around the half-garden, half yoga-studio; the wall of water became suddenly apparent.

“Of course,” he mused. “Of course, you’d have a waterfall on your wall…who wouldn’t?”

A gentle, growling woof brought Louis’ focus back into room; eyes scanning the floor for Bell. He found him in the back corner underneath a large-fronded fern; sat happily in the lap of a cross-legged yoga-practising man.

That man! The man who—

Louis gaped. _The jogger!_ Who had called his ass perfect and then blanked him.

_What the actual fuck?_

And he was—He was topless. He looked…holy fuck, he looked incredible, Louis realised. His hair was damp with sweat; piled into soft curls and tethered by a folded bandana tied around his head; thick curled lashes brushing his cheeks as he breathed in deeply and then breathed out just as slow. His hands-which looked gentle-were laid palm-up on his knees; his back perfectly straight as his ribs flexed with the muscles required for breathing.

And he was glistening.

A very soft, warm hue decorated his pale skin; clearly a left-over from a hard work-out and Louis ignored his dick twitching in his pants. This was no time to be getting turned on. The man was a thief and he had no right to hold Bell captive.

“Hey!” Louis stormed into the studio; noticing the earbuds in the stranger’s ears before grasping the wires to yank them out.

The young man startled with a gasp; wide green eyes popping open along with his very pink mouth.

Louis felt suddenly unprepared. “Jesus,” he breathed.

The man licked his lips and smiled.

“Buddha, actually.”

 “What?!” Louis asked, confused and under attack from a pair of dimples.

 “You called me Jesus, I’d like to think of myself as more of a Buddha,” the man smirked.

And if _that_ wasn’t the most egotistical; stupidly pretentious thing that he had ever heard anyone say then—

 “I wasn’t calling y- for fu-“

 “No swearing, please,” The man cut him off. “This is the Zen Zone.”

 “I’ll Zen you in a minute, mate. Look-“

 “Hmm, would love to see you try.” The man flicked his cool-as-a-cucumber gaze to him, green depths sparkling with recognition. “As much as I would love to get Wangs with you, right now you’re disturbing my meditation…”

“I’m not—I’m not _asking you out_!” Louis practically bellowed as the man closed his eyes again.

“Please don’t raise your voice, I’m finding it hard to feel my _chi_ right now…”

 “Yeah well I’m not feeling the fact my dog is in your lap, mate!” Louis snapped.

The young man opened his eyes.

 “She’s yours?!” He looked down to Bell in his lap.

 “HE. Is _mine_ , yes,” Louis supplied tautly.

 “Oh...I..umm...”

“You, what?” Louis demanded; calling Bell to heel. Bell ignored him. “You thought it was okay to steal my dog?”

“Wait… _you’re_ the Grease fanatic who ruined my car!” The man suddenly deduced.

“What do you mean, ruined?” Louis stared at him, drawing in a surprised breath that _this_ was in fact Harry Styles; the owner of the beautiful Mercury.

The very same man who had flirted with him had dognapped Bell.

“That car is in pristine condition, I’ll have you know. Unfortunately, the dent you put in the side panel was a little difficult to bend out, so it looked better with a little colour on the body…”

“And you thought painting two massive glitter lightning bolts on the side of my car was your solution?!” Harry spluttered. “Instead of, oh I don’t know - just painting over it?!”

“Bell, come,” Louis commanded once more; Harry’s arm curving around the loyalty-torn Shiba to prevent him from leaping out of his lap.

“I did paint over it, you Buddhist freak, but you hit it pretty hard and the paint didn’t hide the hole you put in the door, alright? So, the only option was to decorate it! Most people are grateful for my talent,” he added scathingly. “Next time I won’t bother!”

Harry’s jaw set; eyes lifting to glare at Louis intensely.

“There won’t be a next time, Zuko. You’re not going anywhere near Freddie!”

Louis froze; eyes dipping down to glance a Harry’s damp, flushed chest before settling back on his face where his cheeks looked pink and his face was contorted into a death-stare. He swallowed down his urge to scream and rolled back on his heels slightly.

“She kind of looks like a _Sandy_ to me…”

“And your dog looks like a Belle!” Harry retorted.

 “Speaking of which, what _have_ you done to my dog?” Louis asked, cocking his head to work out what the pink clothing was pulled over Bell’s torso.

“I put a coat on her…um, I mean _him_. He looked cold…” Harry defended.

Louis stepped forward and reached down to pull Bell right from Harry’s lap. He observed the disgustingly bright pink dog-jacket with a distasteful frown; a hood folded back which was lined with soft pink fur and a huge Hello Kitty cartoon printed on the back.

“You’ve—You’ve emasculated him!” Louis gasped.

“Pink isn’t just a feminine colour!” Harry argued; jumping to his feet now that Bell had been given over to his owner. “Stop suppressing him!”

“Sup-“ Louis swallowed, shaking his head with a flat laugh. “You’re the one that took him and fed him even though he belonged to someone else!”

“Someone who doesn’t love him!” Harry gestured at Louis. “You’re never there and then Bell runs away and you don’t even notice! He likes it here!” He argued. “It’s peaceful!”

Louis narrowed his eyes, swallowing hard.

“Oh yeah, it’s real _Zen_ ,” he spat accusingly, turning with Bell in his arms.

“Hey! You can’t just take him!” Harry called from behind him.

“Watch me!” Louis called over his shoulder; striding away with a whimpering Bell in his arms.

//

“Oh hey, Harry!”

Niall opened up the shop on Tuesday to find the curly-haired young man already waiting for him on the wall; turquoise trainers threaded with red laces and a bandana tied around his head.

“Niall,” Harry nodded; looking around for Bell. “Where’s Bell?”

“Oh, Tommo’s got him,” Niall replied. “Something about being called a bad dog-parent, I dunno,” Niall muttered as he unlocked the shutters; shoving at the metal to dislodge it and sighing when it didn’t give right away.

“Here, let me,” Harry shouldered the wedged door and loosened it easily.

“Thanks,” Niall looked at him with a bright; if curious smile.

“I um…I wanted to apologise,” Harry ventured as he followed Niall inside; sliding his bum onto the desk to perch while Niall turned everything on.

“No need to do that,” Niall assured. “We’re good.”

“Well, no, actually, I wasn’t very _zen_ when I was yelling at you for ruining my car,” he sighed. “And it wasn’t actually your fault, so…”

Niall snorted.

“It’s fine Harry, honestly.”

“Well, here,” Harry jumped up and pulled something from the kangaroo pouch stitched into his hoodie.

Niall eyed the envelope.

“What’s that?”

“Vouchers,” Harry shrugged, dipping his chin. “For LION ZEN,” he explained. “You can have any free treatment or session you want using that,” he nodded towards the envelope that Niall had just taken with a cautious grip.

“Not sure a man like me belongs in a  place like your emporium,” Niall offered.

“Give us a go you never know, you might like it,” Harry insisted. “I just—I should practice what I preach,” he added sheepishly.

Niall eyed him amusedly.

“T-Boss is working on the repaint today,” Niall promised him then, walking over to the blanket where the side doors were once again laid out on a blanket, still decorated with the lightning bolts. “He’s sanding them right down again…”

Harry swallowed, brows drawing together.

“Maybe-“ He began hesitantly; glancing at Niall.

“You want something different?” Niall lifted his brows curiously.

Harry sighed; eyes going over the fine artwork of the design; the same delicate beauty in those zig-zags that appeared in the garage sign and he felt momentarily weak. Louis had a real talent. A way with a brush that Harry couldn’t begin to understand. And although he hated that his original classic was tainted in some way; he couldn’t bring himself to erase the creativity of Louis’ mind.

“Maybe I’ll keep it like this,” he ventured.

Niall’s brow lifted.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, I mean…people will talk about it, right? It could—it could become a _thing_. The Grease car touring Mito,” he smirked.

“Alright, well I’ll let him know to just bolt the doors back on then, will I?”

“Yeah,” Harry nodded, decided. “I’ll pick it up tomorrow.”

Harry turned back towards the desk with Niall, digging his wallet out of his pocket to pay the invoice.

“So, Harry,” Niall cleared his throat as he sat back in the office chair comfortably. “Are you datin’?” He asked.

Harry’s eyes shot to him; spit caught in his throat.

“Um…pardon?”

“Dating,” Niall repeated. “You know…taken, married, owned…”

Harry smiled bemusedly, cheeks warming.

“None of the above…”

“Well, what’s your type?” Niall asked next, causing Harry to bite his lip.

“I’m—I’m not sure I have one,” he admitted with a thoughtful frown.

“Of fuck it, I’m just going to ask,” Niall huffed. “Are you into guys?”

Harry gaped; fingers clasped around the wad of notes in the flat section of his wallet.

“Um…”

“Because I know this guy. And if you’re into it then-“

“I just…um, I just want to pay,” Harry smiled wanly.

Niall nodded, sitting up.

“T-Boss said not to charge ya,” Niall told him. “Since you weren’t happy with it and everything…”

Harry counted out twelve ¥50 notes and dropped them on the desk.

“It’s worth double that,” he commented knowingly; saluting a wave as he left.

//

Louis was preparing his accounts on the laptop on Friday morning; the complex Excel spreadsheet giving him a ripping headache that wouldn’t budge.

He rubbed a hand over his face and decided to open Google to alleviate the pressure on his brain; looking up new toys for Bell and dog-parks that he could take him to. There was one a  mile away built solely for dogs with agility obstacle courses he knew Bell would love and as soon as the weather improved he’d head over there one Saturday.

Bell woofed beside him; lifting onto his front paws but not standing fully; making Louis smirk.

“Yeah, we’ll go soon, lad,” Louis promised.

Bell tilted his head and whined.

“What’s the matter, eh?” Louis fussed him a bit and he just whimpered; fidgeting stressfully. “Missing your extra lunch?” he mused. “What did he feed you? Hand-seared tuna?”

Bell barked and ran in a  circle.

“No, you’re not allowed out,” Louis reminded him. “I’ll take you for a wander around the block in a sec.”

Bell let out a grumbly growling noise.

“Hey, enough of that,” Louis told him; the pink dog coat he had been wearing folded neatly and placed in the front seat of one stunning Mercury.

A Mercury which still bore lightening bolts.

Louis had been shocked to discover that Harry had a change of heart after their blazing showdown; choosing to keep the sparkly design intact. He’d bolted the doors back on and Harry had collected the vehicle when Louis was out walking Bell one lunchtime. He tried not to think about whether Harry had come to see _him_ or not. Because the answer was most likely _not_.

LION ZEN.

His fingers had typed the words before his brain had caught up and he glanced around to check Niall wasn’t within seeing distance as the web-page loaded for Harry’s gym.

 _“It’s not just a gym, it’s a holistic experience,”_ Louis read in a suitably pretentious voice. “Seriously,” he snorted.

The web-page was a watercolour painting of a Japanese garden; the menu options rested among tree branches artfully.

 _Gallery_.

He clicked on the option, lower lip bitten between his teeth.

And okay…boring…uniformed staff giving massages; too-happy people frolicking in the heated pools; an unfairly muscled man washing himself poetically in one of the cleansing pools…

All utterly diabolical.

And—

Oh. Okay.

Louis leaned in, eyes fastening onto a t-shirt-clad Harry; sat on a back-to-front chair, arms propped on the seat rest; wrists being taped by another man ready to add boxing gloves. He was biting his shoulder cutely; eyes crescented in one of the shots and in the next he was smiling so hard it hurt.

****

****

Fuck, why did it hurt?

Louis scoffed at his own dramatics, rolling his eyes.

There was another picture of him on the chair, tying his boxing shoes up.

Harry's shorts were tugged far enough up his legs for Louis to enjoy the naked swell of his thighs; the curve of his taut calves and the delicacy of his ankles. He had cute knees, for fuck’s sake. Who had cute knees?!

_Harry Styles_ ; his conscience taunted.

And-

Wait a second. Was that--? Was that _Bell_?

He scrolled down; finding a set of three shots of Harry with a well-built Japanese man who had short hair and a kind smile.

“That’s my dog!” He gasped; recognising Bell alongside another dog, a Labrador. “He steals everybody’s dog!”

In the second picture, Bell was lifted into the big man's arms whilst Harry posed beside him in his cute bandana and an ugly brown jumper, thumb pointed upwards. And-

How long had Bell been betraying him, exactly?!

Louis’ hand was shaking as he dragged the scroll bar downwards again, the third picture drawing an indignant gasp from his lips.

Harry was leaned over towards the camera, clutching a smoothie cup and resting a hand on his knee for the shot while Bell was stood right beside him, staring into his face like a love-struck puppy. And it that moment _everything_ clicked into place. _Bell was in love with Harry!_ That’s why he kept whimpering and whining and giving Louis pleading looks and—

Running away to spend time with _him._

__

Bell jumped up with a bark as Louis snapped his head up; laptop screen slammed shut and his body flushing hot with anger.

“That little…!”

“You alright, Tommo?” Niall petted Bell absently as he opened the fridge to look for food.

“My dog!” He burst out.

Niall glanced at Bell.

“Yep…yep, Bell is your dog…”

“Is on a website!” Louis tried again.

“Oh cool!” Niall lit up, walking over to plop into a chair; twisting the laptop to face him and opening it up. “Oh, that’s Harry’s gym!” He narrated. “Hey, your dog’s famous, Lou! He looks really good, here, too, really happy...”

Louis glared at his friend.

“He can’t just publish pictures of somebody else’s dog!” Louis argued.

Niall smirked, getting up and going over to the counter and sliding open a drawer. Instead of taking out cutlery he took out an envelope.

“Tell you what, you look like you could use a bit of relaxation, mate. Here’s a voucher for Harry’s place…might calm you down a bit if you meditate.”

Louis stared at the paper so hard he almost willed it to burst into flames; hard eyes shifting to his friend. He was about to tell him exactly what he could do with his damn voucher when another fleeting, delicious idea crossed his mind. After all, LION ZEN was an exclusive resort. Not just _anyone_ could stroll in. So, the vouchers would ensure he at least got inside. What happened to the owner after he gained entry wasn’t in his control, was it?

“Oh cheers, yeah,” he took the vouchers with a chilling smile that caused Niall to look at him funny.

“You’re not going t’do anything stupid are ya, Lou?” He checked.

“Who me?” Louis enquired lightly, pushing back his chair to step away.

“Lou,” Niall called him cautiously, voice catching .

“Just off out to stretch my legs, Ni,” he tapped the envelope into the palm of his other hand. “Try a little hot yoga,” he added with a smirk.

 

//

It was a brisk wind that cut across the street as Louis jumped out of his truck. He’d taken a short detour home to change into sweatpants to ensure he looked the part when he went inside the pantomime that Harry called a _lifestyle_ on his website.

Harry was about to find out what being sued felt like. That’d bring a whole new meaning to _Zen lifestyle_ for sure.

He snorted, laying his vouchers on the counter in the “blue corner” as he liked to think of it.

He glanced around, checking if Harry was present in the gymnasium and he wasn’t, Louis releasing a breath of relief.

“Mr. Horan, welcome to our world,” the brown eyed, brown haired man at the desk smiled after reading the name off the voucher. “Let me just fetch your robe and slippers and then I’ll get someone to show you around...”

“No need,” Louis assured. “I can manage.”

“If you’re sure,” Liam, Louis read off his name tag, said.

“Very,” he smiled.

Liam smiled back.

“Well you’re very lucky because Harry is running a few classes today. He’s awfully popular and it’s not often you get to do a class with him, so I recommend you head to the Sun room first...”

“You mean the one painted yellow,” Louis remarked flatly.

“Right,” Liam went to a locker behind him and pulled out a green gown and a pair of mule slippers.  “These are for you...”

Louis took the clothing with a grimace.

“And here’s your complimentary luxury gift bag,” Liam piled the yin-yang printed bag on top of the clothes stacked in his arms. “Again, lucky to get one of those,” he winked.

Louis had never felt _less_ lucky.

He shoved the gown and slippers inside the tote bag and hauled it over his shoulder, hovering at the back of the “Sun room” while a class dispersed, several tall, strapping, muscled men drifting by.

 _Right._ Louis wasn’t built for the gym, he already knew that, why taunt himself with the comparison?

Once the crowd had filtered away, Louis sauntered in, eyes immediately fixing upon Harry.

He was topless _again_ but this time he had on a small pair of silk green boxing shorts; stripes in red and gold lining the sides of his thighs and tiny embroidered lion heads resting right above the little splits that allowed for extra room.

And _fuck_ he was _sweating_.

Every intricate, well crafted muscle in his upper torso flexed with the exertion of his rapid breath, chest expanding and falling and ribs dimpling prettily as he gasped in air.

Louis didn’t want to think about his hips; about the laurel leaves inked there sprawling across an expanse of skin that ought to be criminal to bare. Weren’t there rules for the poncy rich club? Weren’t you supposed to stay dressed at all times?

And why was it so hot in there?

Harry sensed movement as Louis tugged at the neckline of his t-shirt, twisting with a welcoming smile until his eyes flicked over Louis in recognition; his lips twisting into a smirk.

“Well, hello there, Pumba.”

Louis frowned, eyes flicking to Harry's face as he tried to force them to stay there and not slip back down to his tummy where he’d been gazing for a full minute.

“Pumba?” He asked,  because, why not? Let Harry think he was here on a social visit.

“We give all our clients a nickname from the Lion King,” Harry murmured. “You’re pig headed and a little paunchy so,” he shrugged with a sweet smile.

“I’m the furthest thing from paunchy!” Louis argued.

“I’m _Simba_ of course,” Harry told him.

Louis snorted.

“Yeah, cocky little entitled brat, sounds accurate,” he accused.

“How can I help you?” Harry asked, walking across to the side of the room where a towel rack was situated. He pulled one off and began to wipe the sweat from his torso.

“Oh, didn’t you know?” Louis smiled. “I was given some vouchers. I’m attending your next class.”

Harry snorted.

“How about, _not_?”

Louis showed him his tote bag.

“Oh, but I’ve been given the luxury gift bag and everything, that’s no way to treat a VIP guest...”

“Niall,” Harry began, looping the towel around his neck as he sucked water from a bottle in a way that Louis denied had _any_ effect on him. “Niall is the VIP, Louis, not you.”

“You know my name then,” Louis mused. “Shame you didn’t use it to credit those pictures of _my_ dog you published, eh?”

“What—?” Harry choked on his water,  dribbling some down his chin.

Louis subconsciously tracked the progress of that liquid as it splashed onto his chest; trickling between his pectorals and sliding down his belly. When it disappeared among his happy trail, Louis snapped his face back up, accosted with the thick bunch of Harry’s bicep as he lifted his arm to wipe away the water from his chin.

He used the towel to dry his torso once more.

“My dog,” Louis insisted, although his voice sounded unsteady and he was a little bit breathless. How was it fair to place a perfectly gorgeous man in front of him and make him so unattractively clueless?

“What about him?” Harry stared at him confusedly.

“He’s featured on your website, mate,” Louis pointed out. “Where’s my revenue?”

Harry let out a single quack of laughter.

“You think I get paid per hit? You think that everyone who visits does so for the sole purpose of looking at pictures of Bell?”

“You seduced my dog!” Louis accused hotly, slinging down the tote by the door before walking further into the room.

Getting _closer_ to the naked dynamite wasn’t Louis’ best idea.

“Wait,” Harry smirked, lifting his hands to grasp the edges of the towel hung around his neck, the move flexing his biceps again. “Are you- Are you jealous of your dog?!”

“You think I’m jealous?” Louis scoffed. “Actually, I’m just outraged that you’ve got a dog-stealing bracket going on behind the facade of this, of this—"

Harry quirked his brows expectantly when Louis' eyes landed on his face. He _may_ have been distracted by the swallows decorating Harry’s lickable collarbones. _May have. Couldn’t be proved._

Harry looked at Louis like one might regard a sable, with a condescendingly endeared expression.

“This what?” Harry enquired, folding his muscle-bunched arms.

“This pompous, over-zealous water feature!” Louis flung out his arm to gesture somewhere, he wasn’t sure where. The fact that his eyes were glued to Harry’s belly button was irrelevant.

“You can’t still be angry at me,” Harry suggested calmly, popping his hip. “I kept your glitzy little decals you know...”

“De—!” Louis gasped. “I’ll have you know I hand painted those designs! _Free_ hand!” He added fiercely.

“Perhaps an Indian head massage would help. I really feel like your Crown Chakra is blocked...”

Harry wasn’t rising to the bait. Louis couldn’t fathom it. He wanted nothing more than to go at it with the unfairly long-legged man. He wanted him to fight _back_ for fuck's sake. So why wasn’t he? Why was he looking at Louis with a wolfish glint in his placid green eyes, tongue flicking over his lips suggestively?

“What the fuck is a _Crown Chakra_?” Louis snapped, at a loss for what else to say.

“Your head,” Harry smirked. “Although _head_ is _exactly_ what you need to loosen up by the looks of things,” he mused, eyes dipping to the juncture of Louis’ thighs and fastening there boldly.

Louis felt his dick swell betrayingly. He swallowed hard, knowing he was already half hard before he even checked himself.

“S'cuse me, mate,” a thick-set body bumped Louis out of the way from behind despite the studio being entirely empty apart from himself and Harry.

Louis glanced at the profile of the man in annoyance, catching a mild look of irritation on Harry’s face as the man went on to approach him.

“Sensei,” the man greeted Harry with his palms pressed flat together and a respectful bow.

Harry’s eyes darted to Louis who just rolled his eyes.

“Take the pictures down or you’ll be hearing from my lawyer!” Louis called over his shoulder as he stalked towards the door, snatching up the gift bag to take back for Niall.

 

//

“How hot was the yoga?” Niall waggled his brows at Louis, strangely knowing considering he hadn’t _actually_ been present.

“That man,” Louis shook his head, fussing Bell as he came into the garage.

Bell looked at him expectantly.

“Sorry, no treats,” he said.

Bell barked.

“Hey, none of that backchat, young man,” he chastised.

Bell trotted up and down with worried yelps.

“You’re not getting more food,” Louis affirmed. “You’ve been eating two dinners for the last two weeks...”

“How’s Harry?” Niall cut in to ask.

“Can you believe he gives all of his customers a nickname?” He derided. “From the Lion King!”

“Oh yeah,” Niall snorted. “He named me Zazu...what’s yours, Lou?”

Louis stared at him.

How had Niall gotten a nickname without even entering the gym?

“Pumba,” Louis stated, plopping the gift bag down beside Niall's body board. “Got this for you.”

“Sick!” Niall filtered through the contents. “My very own _Green Rain wrinkle deminisher_...”

“Okay which planet swapped you for one of theirs?” Louis asked.

Niall flicked him a sniffy look.

“What? I’m not getting any younger, Tommo...”

“Green Rain?” Louis scoffed. “I can get you green rain if you want it? How about some yellow snow?”

“So, did ya sort things out?” Niall asked as Louis suited up to work on the Nissan which had come in while he was gone, spreadsheet forgotten.

“Did we, fuck,” Louis mused.  “I am never stepping food in that posh hippie commune ever again, Ni. Never.”

Niall frowned, out of Louis' line of sight, tutting softly to himself.

“He seems like a nice guy, Lou,” he murmured. “Can you not drop this whole Bell thing?”

Louis looked over his shoulder to glare in Niall's direction even though he couldn’t see him.

“No, I can't drop it,” he stated. “If he’s so nice why don’t _you_ befriend him, then?” He challenged smugly.

//

“You’re in a rush,” Louis noted of Niall's urgent packing up on Friday afternoon.

“Meeting Harry tonight,” he said, then glanced at Louis. “You want to join us?”

“I was only joking when I told you to be friends with him.”

“Hey, can I borrow Bell?” Niall asked, ignoring him. “Harry got kind of attached to him and I think Bell misses him too...”

Bell whimpered and wagged his tail sadly.

“He can’t miss somebody he’s only known for five minutes...”

“He sent me a picture of them on a walk together...think he’s genuinely sad, mate...”

“He sent you a picture?” Louis snapped his face to Niall. “What picture?”

Niall scrolled through his gallery on his phone.

“Oh, here we go,” he flashed the screen towards Louis, a picture of Harry with his back to the camera in the same clothes as the other pictures- dark marl shorts and a hoodie, a pink bandana tied in his hair- but this time Bell was on a leash, sniffing the plants.

“He bought a leash for him?!” He snatched the phone for a closer look. “And he’s got a ball! He was buying my dog toys!” Louis screeched. “Trying to buy his affection!”

Niall grabbed his phone back from Louis' grip.

“Seems pretty cool to me,” Niall told him with an unimpressed glance. “Buying dog things for a stray.”

“Bell is not a stray!” Louis argued. “He has a collar and I put a note on it...if he was buying things it was because he wanted to coerce Bell into staying with him.”

“Not being funny mate, but Bell didn’t want to come back...”

Louis gasped, eyes flaring as he stared at Niall.

“Take that back!”

“You take it back that you can manage without me,” he smirked.

“Oh, just go,” Louis waved a flamboyant hand. “Get out of my sight. Go and meet your new best friend!”

Niall moved to leave, pausing at the shutter.

“Can I take Bell, then?”

“No!” Louis snapped, throwing one of the manuals in his general direction. When Niall was gone he looked back to Bell, finding a soulful look on his face. “Oh, shut up,” he sighed, ignoring the crawling feeling of guilt in his tummy.

 

_*See end of story for references_


	2. Chapter 2

Harry didn’t jog by the garage anymore.

Louis may or may not have changed his routine deliberately to allow him to open the shop first thing; sending Niall into the city for parts instead.

He may or may not have taken to sitting out front on a rickety chair with his first tea of the day, basking in the weak winter sun. He may or may not have actually been looking out for the long-legged runner to cross his property.

Just so he could tell him to get off it of course.

Niall pulled up on the drive with a dry chuckle as he unpacked the goods.

“Why don’t’cha just go see him,” his friend suggested.

Bell; rested down beside Louis' chair lifted his chin with a wistful noise.

“See who?” Louis asked as Niall petted the dog.

Both human and animal looked at him. Louis rolled his eyes.

“Oh, you mean the guy with the huge Japanese boyfriend?” Louis wondered.

Niall walked into the workshop to dump the stuff, Louis carrying his chair back inside.

“Harry doesn’t have a boyfriend, Lou, and we both know it.”

Louis shrugged, sipping the last of his tea with a nonchalant half-lidded glance.

“Pretty sure those new pictures on his website look more than pally,” he walked over to the sink to rinse his cup out and laid it on the draining board as he deliberately tried _not_ to think about the photo of Harry with his arms wrapped around a wide, muscled man.

Niall watched him walk back towards the first car for the day.

“So, you _do_ want to talk to him?” He mused.

Louis scoffed.

“Not sure there’s much left to say to be honest.”

“How about “sorry"?” Niall posed, shifting to suit up in his overalls.

“Excuse me, Niall, why would I be apologising?” Louis popped the bonnet of the car he needed to look at and fixed it up with the arm.

“Because you yelled at him for no good reason?” Niall posed. “Twice.”

“He stole my dog,” Louis replied. “And then exploited him on his website for his own personal gain,” he added. “Tell me that’s somebody who deserves an apology.”

“Louis, your dog has free run of the whole block.”

“Had,” Louis cut in tactfully.

“Alright, he _had_ free run of the whole block,” Niall amended with an impatient sigh. “But he made friends, didn’t he? Mrs. Uchima wasn’t so different than Harry. She fed him and took him inside...”

“She didn’t take pictures,” Louis cast, grinding his teeth together.

Because the gallery on Harry’s website was more of a personal picture blog than actual business shots and maybe that’s what was getting to Louis the most. That the only picture Harry had posted since Louis had been to see him was one of him cuddled into the side of a man at least three times Louis' size. And the pictures of Bell still hadn't come down.

Shouldn’t there be at _least_ one picture of Louis with his _own_ dog?

“So, what, he likes taking pictures?” Niall disregarded Louis’ sour tone. “I think it’s cute. You do realise Bell misses him?” He added knowingly.

“No, he doesn’t,” Louis denied, glancing at his admittedly sad-looking dog tethered by the desk.

“He fuckin' does, Lou. Look at him. Wait, let me show ya something...”

Louis ran his fingers into his hair and stood up, wiping grease from his fingers onto a rag. Niall took his phone out of his overalls pouch and opened the screen, kneeling down by Bell who was flopped on his side.

“Hey look, Bell...Look who it is!”

Bell lifted his head and glanced at Niall, suddenly rolling to his feet with a bark.

“Yeah, it’s uncle Harry, isn’t it?”

To Louis' utter astonishment Bell fidgeted excitedly; wagging his tail and going as far as _licking_ the phone screen.

“See?” Niall looked at him accusingly as he petted Bell and put his phone away.

“He just misses the free food,” Louis murmured; eyeing his dog as he settled back on his side with a sigh.

“Let him out for a roam,” Niall encouraged. “Bet he'd be back to normal in no time.”

Louis chose not to respond to Niall’s request.

“So how was your night out?” He asked instead.

Niall returned to his duties with a long-suffering sigh.

“Well, it wasn’t the hot young duo’s wild night on the town I was expecting,” Niall shared.

“No?” Louis unscrewed the oil tank carefully.

“Harry was drinking these fancy cocktails and talkin' about you,” Niall lamented.

“Me?” Louis squawked, rising up too fast and banging his head on the propped-up car bonnet. “Ouch,” he hissed, cupping the sore spot.

“Yeah, it was Louis _this_ and Louis _that_ and you know what, I missed my avenue with this girl I'd been watching because let me tell you, he’s a useless wingman. Absolutely _useless._ ”

“Not sure why he felt the need to spend the whole night talking about _me_ ,” Louis sniffed, something curling in his belly that he put down to lack of proper breakfast.

“’Cause you pissed him off,” Niall explained openly.

Louis smirked to himself, the curling feeling turning warm.

“Good to hear I have that effect on the dog-napper,” Louis mused under his breath.

Niall clattered down the spanner he'd been using.

“You’re so fuckin' uptight sometimes,” he accused. “If you got to know him then—"

“Then I’d be drinking green tea and chanting weird spells and bending myself into ridiculous shapes,” Louis quipped. “No, thanks.”

Niall was quiet for a long minute in which Louis was silently revelling in his victory of shutting him up.

“Just think how _bendy_ he is though,” Niall's voice echoed around the room.

Louis narrowly avoided banging his head again. The image that popped into his mind was instant and irrefutable. It was _filthy_. Harry, relaxed from his workout, sweat beading on his flushed skin; flushed because of _Louis_ not because of his hot pool or the sauna or anything else. And _fuck. Louis_ scalding hot inside him; hands roaming that taut,  fit, muscular body. Grasping his hips, maybe. Pulling him down into his lap as his own hips surged up— _holy fuck._ Harry _riding_ him. Flexing, thick thighs and back arched to showcase every delicate muscle in his ribcage and the pretty indents in his hips--

_For fuck’s sake._

He was hard without even _seeing_ it. Just pure imagination alone was enough to get him going...And then some.

And _Niall_ was to blame for that little transgression, the little shit.

“Thanks for that, Nialler,” he called out, voice rougher than usual.

“You’re welcome!” His friend called back socially.

//

Louis awoke on the staff-room sofa with a confused frown.

He never usually slept well, let alone at work but something about the hot chocolate Niall had made had relaxed him enough to snooze for a while.

He checked his watch and stretched, walking into the workshop to fetch Bell for his afternoon stroll. To make up for his more restricted life inside the garage, Louis was phasing him in with regular trips around the block. Bell seemed to be settling into the new routine other than his sulky moments which Louis had expected.

Bell wasn’t tethered by the front desk when Louis strolled out.

“Hey Ni?” He called.

“Out front, Tommo!” his friend yelled and Louis ventured into the afternoon sun to find Niall bleeding a cracked gas tank into a tray on the front drive. “Just came in,” he explained from underneath the jacked car. “Had to empty the gas in case it blew...”

“Need a hand?” Louis knelt down to look, glancing around. “Where d'you put Bell?”

“Tied him in the shade,” Niall pointed underneath the car towards the wall. “Think I’m ok, actually,” he added of the car.

Louis got up and walked around the vehicle to check on Bell, expecting him to be basking in the sun. Bell wasn’t on the drive.

“Niall...you sure you tied Bell up?” Louis asked.

“Tied his leash on the chair leg,” Niall called from under the car.

The chair was there, but laid on its back.

“Bell’s gone, Niall,” Louis stated, bemused.

“What?” Niall wriggled himself out from underneath the car, stinking of gasoline. “Where the fuck--?”

Louis volleyed him a disbelieving look.

“He could have easily pulled that chair over and tugged himself free,” he mused.

“I didn’t--"

“Of course you didn’t,” Louis rolled his eyes.

“No, Tommo, wait...” Niall chased him down the drive.

“Finish the tank,” Louis huffed. “I’m going to the Lion's Den to fetch Bell...”

“Zen," Niall corrected. "Lou, I _swear_ I didn’t mean to!” Niall yelled as Louis stripped off his overalls at the foot of the drive and flung them onto the wall.

 

//

The thing was...

The thing was, they looked cute together. Alright, fuck it, if he must admit it then...they looked absolutely fucking _adorable_.

Bell was wearing his pink, fur hooded Hello Kitty coat and was curled into Harry’s arms. Harry was wearing a matching pale pink Hello Kitty hoodie with what looked to be a set of jogging pants.

Bell’s collar was covered with a pink paisley bandana tied up around it and well...the pair of them looked too cosy to disturb.

Louis had to blackmail his way in of course. It turned out _Liam_ remembered him and he'd been given strict instructions by Harry to not let him inside again but Louis had just screamed loudly at the front desk until Liam had relented.

The staff room of LION ZEN was far more poised than at T BIRD. The couch was huge and soft-looking in a mustard yellow corduroy fabric, with a dark wood table and chairs off to one side and an entirely solar-energy run kitchen for the hot water tap and electrical appliances, all if which looked state of the art. _Well, they **were** in Japan. _

 And then there were the personal touches. Gucci embroidered cushions stuffed around Harry for his comfort, a huge Mickey mouse wall clock; the haphazard dog bed shoved in the corner and filled with an array of toys. There was even a coat-rack bolted up by the door on which Bell’s leash hung, alongside another leash which Louis assumed Harry had purchased as a spare (pink leather) and another fleece dog hoodie with stripes and the Hello Kitty logo.

Apparently Harry really _had_ gotten attached.

And fuck it if they didn’t look blissful cuddled there together on the couch. Any anger he might have harboured suddenly dissipated.

“O-oh, sorry, mate,” Liam burst into the staff room, inadvertently knocking Louis out the way.

Louis glared.

“Big enough to see, aren’t I?”

“Just checking you weren’t...you know...”

“Strangling him in his sleep?” Louis enquired sweetly.

Liam glanced at him.

“It’s a joke,” Louis added. “Chill out.”

“Um. So, are you staying for a while?” Liam wondered. “I can make you a drink?”

Louis eyed the posh coffee-machine on the counter.

“Think I can manage, Liam.”

“We’ve got all kinds of milk in the fridge. You know...soya, almond...”

Louis looked at him.

“Cow?”

Liam smiled.

“Harry’s lactose intolerant so we don’t keep it just in case...”

“In case what? Someone tries to poison him? Is that a regular urge of his customers?” Louis enquired.

Liam laughed but it sounded nervous.

“No! I mean, everyone loves him,” his voice softened along with his gaze, shifting to the sleeping man with the dog and for one second Louis wondered if he had read it all wrong. Maybe it was _Liam and Harry_ that had something, not the muscled guy?

“Especially my dog,” Louis remarked.

Liam looked at him then with a warm smile.

“Louis?”

Louis looked up, mildly surprised that Liam knew his name.

“You-you might be surprised you know,” Liam ventured; a little nervously if Louis judged it right. “If you um...if you got to know him you might--"

“Like him?” Louis offered with a sigh.

Liam nodded with a bitten lip.

“Right,” he nodded, moving towards the sofa to lower himself carefully into the seat nearest Harry's bare feet. He’d hate to be the person responsible for breaking up the man/dog lovefest that was occurring despite his inner envy.

_For Harry or Bell, he wasn’t certain._

“I’ve got to get back to the desk,” Liam said. “Help yourself to whatever,” he extended before he went which considering Harry’s instructions to ban Louis from the place; Louis felt was hugely generous of Liam to offer.

Louis picked up the newspaper from the coffee table, keen to catch up on the sports page while he waited for Bell to wakeup.

“ _The Tranquil Times_ ,” he whispered derisively of the title. “What kind of newspaper is this?!”

It turned out there were no sports updates. So Louis spent the next hour reading about _tranquil_ pursuits.

//

 

Harry woke slowly, the smell of dog breath drawing a half grimace, half smile from his face.

“Bell,” he complained in a deep, scratchy voice, pressing kisses to the dog’s snout. “Kissy, Bell,” he murmured, receiving licking kisses back.

It felt so good to have Bell close by, warm and soft fur in his arms . He smiled to himself as he stretched his body out long; jolting when his toes touched something firm.

“Um...” Harry lifted his head, eyes squinting to the foot of the sofa. “Fuck,” the breath left his lungs in a decisive harsh swoop.

_Louis._

Louis was—

Reading _The Tranquil Times._

“Um,” he tried again, drawing his feet out of Louis' lap where he had unconsciously stretched them. Louis had yet to look his way.

“Fascinating article on cultivating bonsai, here,” Louis said, breaking the awkward moment.

Bell broke out of Harry's arms on hearing Louis' voice and trampled over Harry’s legs to greet him.

“Oh, hello, traitor,” Louis greeted with a nonchalant kiss. “You remember who I am then?”

“I didn’t take him,” Harry quickly offered, sitting up.

Bell pounced excitedly between the pair, walking over limbs haphazardly in his to-and-fro pattern.

“Alright, calm down,” Louis settled him with a fuss, pulling up the hood of his coat playfully. “Can’t see you now...peekaboo!” He flipped the hood down and Bell surged against his chest affectionately which Louis laughed at, cuddling him in. “You like your cuddles don’t you Bell-boy? That’s why you keep coming here,” Louis' eyes flicked to Harry for the first time since he woke. “Nice jumper,” he added for Harry’s benefit.

Harry; dry mouthed and sleepily confused, blinked rapidly before clearing his throat. Because he was wearing the Hello Kitty hoodie that he had sworn nobody but him and his staff would ever get to see. He refused to be embarrassed about it, though.

“Thanks,” he managed, sliding long fingers into his messy hair and realising his bandana was missing.

“Do you want your scarf back?” Louis' eyes went from Bell to Harry; recognising the headwear now that Bell was up.

“No, it’s okay,” Harry tugged up the hood of his jumper and Louis quickly hid a smile. “What?” Harry eyed him suspiciously.

“You do know that hood has ears?” He checked and Harry frowned, feeling the top of the hood to corroborate the claim, rolling his eyes when two small points came into reach.

“Yeah, well...” He swallowed, brows furrowing as he pursed his lips and Louis wondered where the hot-blooded fighter from a week ago had gone

Louis couldn’t help smiling at him fondly.

“What are you staring at?” Harry grumbled, wiping his mouth in case he had dribbled in his sleep.

Louis let Bell free to leap onto the floor, lips twitching as he leaned over the gap between him and Harry on the sofa, reaching towards his face. The move startled Harry who narrowed his lashes warily while Louis brushed his thumb over his cheek; eyes alight with mischief.

“You’ve got—you know...stripes,” Louis told him in a surprisingly raspy voice. “Lines, from the—" Louis pointed to the corduroy couch. “It’s kinda...” he paused.

 _Kind of what?_ Harry wondered. Stupid? Silly? Infantile?

“Cute,” Louis smirked, answering his silent question.

_Cute._

_Kinda cute._

_Louis Tomlinson thought he was kind of cute._

“Oh,” Harry lifted his hand to rub at his cheek, dislodging Louis' thumb with the movement.

Louis tried not to let disappointment overwhelm him. He had after all, been the one to instigate bad feeling between them. He couldn’t expect Harry to pretend none of it had happened.

“Sorry,” he tucked his hands between his thighs.

“You can um...take Bell and go if you want,” Harry offered, impatiently pushing his hair back again.

Harry didn’t like the way Louis had made himself at home in his sanctuary. It had taken him long enough to forget about their last meeting; when Louis had yelled at him for using Bell’s pictures on his website. _When Harry had secretly wanted to kiss him quiet._

“Thought we could uh...you know...iron things out,” Louis ventured with a hopeful smile.

Bell trotted back towards the sofa from his search of the room, loyalty split between the two men as he weaved uncertainly.  He seemed to make a decision and headed for Harry, jumping up to tread on his thighs.

“Easy, beautiful,” Harry nuzzled him, one eye screwed shut as he rearranged Bell’s paw from pressing into his sensitive parts and set it on his thigh instead.

Louis couldn’t even be mad that Bell had chosen Harry’s lap to settle in because he was watching Harry sat there in his soft, pink, cutesy tracksuit kind of wishing he could do the same.

“You want to call a truce?” Harry's chin lifted from Bell’s kisses.

Louis swallowed and nodded.

“And this has nothing to do with Niall?” Harry checked suspiciously.

Louis averted his gaze. Because it _did_ have some thing to do with Niall; if only the insistence that Louis was behaving badly. And then planting an image of a very flexible Harry in his head. Not that Louis expected _that_ to become reality. There was calling a truce and then there was achieving the impossible.

His eyes flicked back to Harry’s; staring at him insistently.

“Only for the fact he made me realise I _may_ have reacted harshly,” Louis licked his lips and twisted his fingers in his lap nervously.

Harry’s lips pulled into a lazy smirk, one brow rising.

“Well I’m glad that you can recognise that you completely overreacted, Louis, that shows great encouragement for balancing your Chakras. Your Third Eye was clearly out of loop for a while there and--"

“My Third _what_?” Louis interrupted, bemused.

“Eye,” Harry repeated patiently, massaging Bell in a way that made the dog wilt in sated relaxation against his chest.

Louis looked at his lap, thoroughly confused.

“My Third Eye?” He stared at his dick, trying to work out Harry’s mumbo jumbo. “Is that why you said I need to get blown?” He asked.

Harry’s lids fell half way across his eyes in a cool glance.

“Not everything is about your dick, Louis,” he huffed, pushing up from the couch.

“Isn’t that my Third Eye, though?” He asked. “I mean...I’m no Buddhist but--"

“No, you’re not,” Harry’s dry, acerbic tone caught the edges of Louis’ doubt and flared his defensiveness.

“No, I’m fucking not,” he stopped by the door where Harry was headed, Bell glancing between them with a distressed whimper. “But you don’t have to act all hoity-toity and start insulting my...my _penis_ , do you?”

“I wasn’t even talking about your- _oh my god!_ ” Harry scoffed.

Louis snatched Bell’s leash from the rack.

“Look, whatever,” Louis frowned, pride stinging. “If you want to see Bell you know where to find us,” he challenged; shouldering Harry out of way slightly to exit the staff room.

//

 

It took him a good ten minutes to leave the building thanks to the number of customers who recognised Bell. Liam had even tried to encourage Louis to stay for a free hot-stones therapy they were trialling, but Louis wanted _out_ and fast.

He stomped all the way back to the garage and fastened Bell by the desk; Niall’s eyes following him from where he was draped backwards on the bonnet of the car he’d worked on; lazily eating an apple.

“Found Bell okay then,” he called.

Louis glared.

“Try not to let him escape in future,” Louis pleaded. “I’m fed up of that over-hyped, hippie gym freak,” he announced.

“Who, Harry?”

Louis slammed the fridge getting _proper_ milk for his tea.

“Look, I told him he can visit Bell and if he comes by on his run then fine, Bell can go but—nothing else, alright? That’s _it_.”

Niall slithered off the car to walk over, tossing his Apple core into the bin.

“So, what happened?”

Louis pressed his lips together and lifted his brows, swallowing away the lump in his throat.

“I was nice, alright, Ni. You told me to be nice, so I was nice...”

“And?” Niall prompted as Louis poured tea.

“And then he started talking about my _third eye_.” Louis made a face.

Niall frowned.

“Your what?”

“My dick, Niall,” Louis rolled his eyes.

“Is that what you call it?” Niall snorted.

“That’s what Harry called it!” Louis snapped. “I don’t fucking know about this stuff, do I?”

Niall stood for a moment deep in thought.

“Isn’t that a good thing though?” He posed. “I mean if the guy is _talking_ about your dick then he’s _thinking_ about your dick and that’s got to be a good thing, right?”

Louis shook his head, hands warming around his cup.

“It didn’t sound good.”

“Let me talk to him,” Niall smiled. “I reckon you’ve got your panties in a bundle over nothin'.”

Louis stared.

“My panties are just fine, thanks,” Louis replied coolly, taking his tea back to where he was working.

//

 

The storm had been predicted as torrential but Louis hadn’t paid the forecast much attention because that didn’t always mean much.

Taking Bell out in the rain was a struggle and it was so damn cold, Louis had to put on his scarf, gloves and a beanie. He reluctantly strapped Bell into his pink jacket and rolled his eyes at the upcoming onslaught of misunderstanding from people they would come across; assuming Bell to be a girl.

Like Harry had.

_Harry._

Louis shook his head, refusing to let his mind go there. Soft, pink kitty sweatshirts and hot, sweaty torsos did not pop into his brain. Not at all. Never.

“Ready Bell?” Louis eyed the rain outside and grimaced. “Just a quick one yeah?”

Bell yapped and Louis led him out into the downpour.

Bell could easily go to the toilet in the yard but he hadn’t had a proper run thanks to the rain so Louis had played with him indoors hoping it would temper his enthusiasm.

Unfortunately, Bell had other ideas, leading him eagerly into the dimming light. Louis tugged up the hood of his parka and tried to coax Bell around the corner to circle the houses; creating a long but safe route in the slashing rain.

A crack of lightning startled them both, Bell leaping into the road after a car passed, causing a wave of water to soak them both right to the skin.

“Fuck!” Louis gasped as the lead slipped from his fingers, the rain coming down so hard it was blinding him. “Bell?”

Bell barked a short way off, having found a small green to bound across; playfully splashing in the water laying on the grass.

Louis jogged across the road and onto the grass, slipping on the wet surface and landing on his ass with a fat splash.

“Great,” he muttered. “Some idea this was...”

He got himself up, Bell’s barks having worked further away.

“Bell! Come here!” Louis yelled.

Bell stopped, turning toward his voice with a bark.

“Come here, now!” Louis added starkly, giving up on wiping off the mud from his slathered jeans.

To his astonishment; Bell turned away from him and ran toward the horizon, leaving Louis gasping in the cold; soaked through and utterly stunned by his outright disregard to his command.

“You wait!” He chased after him angrily. “I know _exactly_ where you're going!”

 

//

It was a wet October evening when Harry shut off the last of the switches in the gym, the light outside reluctantly dimmed due to the power surge warnings that had been issued in respect of the storm.

He trudged to the front door with his raincoat; hesitant to head outside but he settled his pink beanie over his unruly hair on the walk.

He swung the door open to regard the severity of the weather and was startled to come face to face with a sopping wet,  panic-stricken human.

“Thank fuck!” The man gasped.

“Louis?” He checked, on closer regard recognising the smaller man.

“Is Bell here?” Louis looked up; every inch of him wet through and exhausted by the look of it.

“No?” Harry questioned. “Did he run off again?”

“Fuck!” Louis lamented. “He ignored my command and I thought he was coming here...”

Louis' skin went visibly pale and he staggered back from the doorway.

“Hey,” Harry stepped forward to grasp him. “Come inside for a minute...I’ve got some dry clothes and a waterproof you can borrow. We'll look for him together,” he promised.

Louis sucked in a breath that was half water and nodded, wincing as he let himself be guided inside.

“I’m going to flood your little Zen pools,” he murmured, shaking.

Harry’s arm went around his shoulders tightly, drawing Louis into his side.

“Just focus on getting to the changing rooms, Lou,” Harry suggested and Louis let the nickname go while he tried not to let his mind spin into panic.

//

“Where else would he have gone?” Louis worried as he pulled a too-large jumper over his head.

Harry, who had been trying not to sneak glimpses of a wet Louis undressing and drying off in a cubicle with the door open, looked up to bite his lip at the view of Louis drying his hair with a towel. Unfairly attractive.

“The park?” He suggested.

Louis looked up with a sudden gasp.

“I took him to that new place designed just for dogs...”

“I bet he's there, Lou,” Harry promised, tugging the wet towel from Louis' fingers. “Would you like me to blow dry your hair?”

It was an odd question and entirely too innocent for Louis' liking. The word _blow_ stuck in his mind on loop.

“Er...”

Harry smirked at his expression, leading him the power point where the hair-dryers were set in their holders.

“It’ll only take a minute, I promise,” his voice was soothing as he pulled a hair-dryer out and turned it on, lifting his brows expectantly at Louis. Louis reluctantly sat on the deluxe bench beside the vanity section, Harry leaning into him slightly to reach.

“Looks like I’ll be doing the blowing in a minute,” he murmured as Harry boisterously finger-dried his hair; standing directly in front of him.

“Your hair is so nice and shiny! Mine gets tangled...what’s your secret?” Harry yelled over the noise of the dryer, combing more gently though Louis' hair.

“Snail slime,” Louis replied, dead pan, waiting for Harry's response.

“That sounds very mean to the poor snails...”

Louis snorted, covering his lips with his hand.

“Do I look like a guy who uses anything but shampoo?” He asked.

Harry pursed his lips, swallowing back his chagrin and nodding graciously.

“Alright, perhaps not,” he conceded.

Louis didn’t know why he was still standing over him, fingertips gently caressing his scalp through the soft mound of his hair.

“I really have to find Bell,” he breathed the words almost regretfully.

“Oh,” Harry stepped away sheepishly. “Of course. Let me help,” he added.

Louis took the torch Harry offered and slipped on the waterproof poncho over his warm clothes.

“Alright, let’s go,” they headed out into the storm together.

//

“Ouch, fuck!” Louis skidded in the sopping wet mud; landing with a fat slap that splashed dirt all over his already wet and filthy form.

Harry snorted at him; doubling back to offer his hand to help Louis up.

“Come on, Louis, stop messing around,” he rolled his eyes teasingly.

Louis glared at him but begrudgingly grasped his hand to help himself up.

“Look, I know you’re doing me a favour here, Buddha-boy, but there’s no need to be glib…”

Just as Louis pulled against the opposing weight of Harry’s body; Harry’s legs gave way; trainers sliding out from underneath him and crash-landing them both back in the giant muddy puddle in the middle of the park.

Louis couldn’t help but cackle; body shaking with his laughter and eyes watering at the irony of it all. Harry was the perfect victim, pouting sourly and staring at the wetness surrounding him; his new status as an _island_ clearly disapproved of.

“Well, fuck,” Harry mumbled, righting himself slightly by shifting from his side to sit up a bit.

Louis smirked when Harry met his gaze. _Fucking_ would be one way to make the most of their situation, he supposed. Oddly he was more open to that idea than he might have been two days ago. Something about a wet Harry had him all confused about what he actually wanted from the man.

“Brown is your colour,” Louis offered.

“Well, you look like shit,” Harry’s lips tugged up smugly; brows lifting.

Louis made to move; rolling onto his side to try and kneel in the water, but every time he tried to stand; his feet slipped away.

“#Slip and slide the eye of your mind, don’t you know you might find#—” Harry’s husky, deep voice began to sing in perfect pitch; stunning Louis into slapping down in the mud again. “A better place to play…” Harry winked, causing Louis to choke.

“It’s slip _inside_ ,” He corrected bemusedly, glancing up at Harry sat beside him.

Harry’s eyes flicked to his, lips tugging into a smirk.

“Oh, yeah?”

Not for the first time, Louis was seeing Harry in a whole new light. It had started when he’d seamlessly offered his support even though he had every right to send Louis packing when he’d shown up soaking wet at his gym.

“Never took a hipster to know Oasis,” he commented. “You’re full of surprises, aren’t you?”

Harry’s smile grew, eyes lighting up.

“You have no idea.”

Louis blinked, something in the weird feeling in his tummy forcing him to lift his chin and tilt his head further to the side; eyes grazing over Harry’s damp skin and bitten lips; the hair which was sticking out of his beanie wet and curling in the rain.

It was even stranger that Harry didn’t turn away from him with a derisive eye-roll or a cool blink. Instead his smile tucked into the corners of his mouth warmly; almost like he had been expecting this, and Louis wasn’t quite sure what to do with that because he felt compelled to kiss him; and since when was that something that he wanted to do?

_Other than walking into LION ZEN and finding Harry topless. And finding Harry cuddling Bell. And Harry running past his garage. And fuck._

He leaned toward him; shoulders brushing; breath warm against the cold damp air as they angled their heads and bodies quietly; in small increments as though either one of them could pull away and play it cool.

The distant, urgent yaps of a dog had Louis pulling away with an almost disappointed catch of his breath.

“Bell,” he murmured; on seeing Harry’s brows furrow.

The frown deepened into a concerned pout.

“Let’s go get him,” he launched himself up; remaining on his feet with a victorious grin. “Come on, Lou,” he pulled Louis up with two hands; fingers cold but clinging as they hesitated; eyes glued to each other’s face.

Louis gave one last lingering look at Harry’s mouth before shifting; only letting go of one of his hands as they walked across the water-logged grass.

//

It was Harry who carried Bell home from the vets, zipping Bell up in his hoodie to keep him warm.

It was Harry who; sopping wet and exhausted alongside Louis, had used his brute strength to haul Bell out of the flooded storm drain that Bell had gotten trapped in.

It was Harry who held Bell while Louis checked him over and found the gash on his leg. It was Louis who had practically had a melt-down in the middle of a torrential downpour before Harry had calmly pulled him closer to his body with his free arm and after that, had plucked his phone from his jeans pocket to find an emergency vet.

It was Louis who had shivered heavily while he cuddled in close as a way of saying thank you, breathing the words against Harry’s water-proof covered chest.

Louis could still feel the way Harry's long, cold fingers had slid over the back of his beanie-clad head in comfort, pressing a kiss against the knitted fabric.

Louis had spent the last two hours focused on the wet, tight fit of Harry’s jeans over his thighs; not allowing himself to enjoy that sight as much as he’d usually like to; more worried about Bell’s wellbeing while they searched. But once Bell was found, his attraction to the pretentious beanpole had flooded his veins and warmed him from the inside out. He'd brushed away some dirt from Harry’s cheekbone and let olive eyes engage with his while his thumb found a home in the gentle groove of Harry’s cheek.

He'd felt an unexplained heat flicker up inside him as he stared into a soul he couldn’t fathom but somehow strangely understood. Harry’s pomp didn’t seem to matter in those moments.

The frighteningly savage lightning _did_ matter though. And once Bell had been seen by the vet,  Louis had insisted on hosting Harry for the entire night, promising to look after him in return for his help. The fact that Harry had just smiled at him with soft eyes when he had invited him to his home was inconsequential.

“Which way?” Harry asked, wiping his feet on the rug, but dripping wetly over the carpet besides.

Bell had a cone around his neck, his leg dressed and medicine administered but he wasn’t allowed to lick or bite the bandage.

“Right turn,” Louis told him, directing him into his cosy living room. “I’ll go and get some towels and clothes so you can get a hot shower...”

Harry  twisted at the waist to smirk at him.

“Sure,” he murmured, setting Bell down who shook his fur out despite having kept mostly dry thanks to his dog jacket and from being sheltered under Harry’s hoodie.

Harry unzipped his wet waterproof and snuck into the hall to hang it up, peeling off his socks as he hopped back into the lounge. He grasped his ass to test its wetness, choosing not to plop down into the sofa. His boxer briefs felt squelchy and he didn’t want to get the furniture wet.

“Here we go,” Louis burst in breathlessly, still wet and dressed, dumping a huge pile of towels onto a chair along with what appeared to be sportswear. “There's  a massive hoodie there, one of my over-size t-shirts and a pair of my joggers that always drown my ankles,” he offered.

“Lou, relax,” Harry reached out to grasp his wrist, frowning bit as he dragged him closer. “It’s been a pretty traumatic night.”

“Wouldn’t want you to get sick,” Louis swallowed “Wouldn’t want to block any of your Chakras...”

Harry’s lips quirked, amusement-bright eyes flicking to him as a dimple appeared in his cheek.

“No? None of them?” He flirted warmly.

Louis blinked, lost in green.

“Thank you for the stuff,” Harry reached up with his free hand to gently comb Louis’ fringe back with warmer fingers. “But I want you to go and get clean, first,” he murmured.  “I’ve got everything under control down here, okay?”

Louis nodded with a slightly aggrieved sigh, deciding to just go along with him because he got a strange sense that Harry would be stubborn. Maybe it had something to do with every time they had met so far.

“Okay,” he crouched to hug Bell with a heart-felt sigh, kissing his fur before exiting the room.

 

//

 

“Where are you?” Louis called out as he pattered down the stairs to find an empty living room.

“In here!” Harry’s voice called from the kitchen, Bell trotting into the hall to greet Louis with an excited woof despite his limp.

Louis bent down to lift Bell into his arms, carrying him through to the next room.

Louis walked into what _looked_ like his kitchen only with an artful overhaul.

Harry had turned on the corner lamps, leaving the main, startlingly bright halogens dim, several mis-matched candles grouped together on the table and surrounding what looked to be the fruit that had been scattered errantly around; organised into a glass dish Louis didn’t even know he owned.

The coffee machine was percolating, and Harry was chopping something at the counter, the clean slouch wear pulled on and a towel wrapped around his hair in a turban.

“I thought I told you to stay put,” he complained.

Harry looked up, apparently not in the least bit sorry or awkward about commandeering somebody else’s house.

“I didn't listen,” he admitted.

Louis wandered closer, with Bell still perched in his arms. Harry pursed his lips and murmured, “Kissy, Bell?” in a way that left Louis wishing he was his dog and not for the first time. Somehow Harry navigated the plastic cone to kiss Bell.

“You want a coffee?” Louis decided to ask.

“Have you got any green tea?” Harry asked, lifting small squares of something red and yellow into a pan.

Louis tilted his head.

“Afraid not, Buddha,” he teased.

“Any hazelnut oil?”

Louis reached to his left and flung open the top cupboard door, back arching as he stretched.

“Fucking Niall put it right on the—"

Louis' words got lost the moment Harry pressed himself against his back, easily grasping the neat box of small bottles from the highest shelf. He felt warm and cosy and Louis could have sworn he felt Harry sniff his hair.

“What're these?” He asked, leaning against Louis out of sheer spite, Louis was certain.

“Those fancy syrup things,” Louis waved a hand. “Some new age hippie got me them for Christmas...”

“Oh, do I get to meet him?” Harry eased himself away with a mischievous twinkle.

Louis glared.

“No,” he snapped, earning a curious brow-lift. “I’m not encouraging you to build a commune and take over the entire neighbourhood,” he sniffed, setting the machine for his drink.

“I’ll have a macchiato,” Harry requested as he went back to his vegetables. “With a caramel shot, please.”

Louis rolled his eyes and carefully made the drink anyway.

“What are you cooking?”

“A shepherds pie,” Harry shared. “It’s going to take a little longer though.”

“Did you find that stuff in my fridge?” Louis frowned at the unfamiliar food.

Harry smirked, pushing back his hair towel a little.

“It was all there, Lou. Who does your shopping?”

“I do!” Louis huffed indignantly. “Alright sometimes it’s Niall. Okay it’s mostly Niall,” he threw his hands up in defeat and perched against the counter. “You sort of take over did you know that?”

“I did,” Harry smile proudly.  “Does that bother you, Lou?”

Louis snorted, folding his arms.

“No doubt it says a lot about my third eye...”

Harry’s gaze drifted to settle between Louis' thighs with a slow, smug tug of his lips.

“I know plenty of ways to unblock that for you,” he offered a deep, dirty voice.

At least that’s how it sounded to Louis’ ears and the skin on his inner thighs prickled with the attention.

“Oh?” He cleared his throat.

“Yeah,” Harry emptied his pan into a dish, lifting another pan Louis hadn’t even seen before,  carefully topping the mixture with fluffy mashed potatoes.

Once the dish was safely set in the oven, he approached Louis in his borrowed soft, white hoodie and grey track pants and why did Louis ever think white was a good colour to put Harry in? He looked far too sweet and kissable.

“Wanna know where your Third Eye really is?” Harry curled the very tips of his fingers around Louis' forearms, dragging his hands upwards and twisting them until his thumbs pressed into his biceps.

Louis probably still reeked of oil, an ingrained smell he had tried everything to get rid of but still haunted him constantly. He nodded, afraid he might break the spell if he spoke.

One of Harry’s hands released his arm, thumb brushing the centre of his forehead.

“Your third eye is here, Lou. It represents insight and communication. Not you know...sex stuff,” Harry arched a brow and blinked slowly, lips quirking. “ _That_ would be the Sacral Chakra,” he explained, hand dropping to brush the backs of his fingers against Louis' lower tummy. “Down here.”

Louis stared at him, a subtle throbbing starting up at the points where Harry’s hands connected to his body; around his arm and low in his belly.

“So, you’re saying I was being a pain in the ass, then,” he joked but it came out breathy.

Harry smiled, so slow that Louis felt an ache in his chest at wanting to see his teeth revealed. And Louis knew instinctively that Harry was remembering the first time they’d met when Harry had complimented his behind.

“I’m saying we weren’t communicating well,” he murmured,  crooked smile fading.

“I don’t recall a “we",” Louis mused. “Had a _mutual_ blow been suggested then things could have gone _really_ differently,” he mused.

Louis went to step away from Harry’s intensity, but Harry’s fingers tightened in his top and tugged him back.

“Yeah?” His voice was deep and he was so close. So fucking close and Louis didn’t know how that happened, exactly.

The oven was humming in the peripheral noise around them while Bell was feeling sorry for himself curled up in his bed in the kitchen and Louis lost himself in the feeling. It was a feeling he couldn’t describe, broken flashes of green galaxies and an overwhelming sense of feeling safe and wanted along with— _fuck—_ He wasn't even sure he _knew_.

It all felt strangely good and dizzying at the same time, his fingers clutching into Harry’s hoodie to anchor them together.

“Sacral Chakra is operating well, hmm?” Harry’s voice teased him before his knuckles brushed beneath his belly button, his mouth slanting over his as he shifted; arms circling him completely to haul him closer into the mauling of his mouth.

Nothing about Harry was subtle or shy, the way he kissed was no different, confident and owning and almost over-possessive, but Louis melted into the command; the stress of the day finally releasing into something else.

Strong flicks of his tongue against Harry’s, sweet brushes of their lips and harder open-mouthed kisses laced with moans from them both. When Harry’s hand cradled the back of his head; fingers delicately petting his hair, Louis sighed and gave into his strength, letting Harry hold him up against his body as he went weak with whatever coursed through him—want, perhaps? Relief?

_No._

This wasn’t about that. This wasn’t a thank you, was more than mere _appreciation._ Louis was on fire. Illuminated. Like the bolts of electricity painted on the side of Harry’s car. _The ones he had kept there despite hating them._

“Lou?”

Louis vaguely recalled the gentle nickname from earlier, eyes heavy and closed as he hummed, arms fastened around Harry’s shoulders in a development he couldn’t quite explain.

“Want that blow job now?” Harry asked, voice amused as Louis lolled quite indulgently in his arms.

“Hm?” He opened his eyes, breath catching as he took stock of the situation.

Harry was holding him tightly, a soft but superior smirk on his lips. Meeting Louis' gaze, Harry placed a longing kiss to his mouth.

“I’m really good at it,” he promised with the kind of husk in his voice that Louis imagined he might possess _after_ blowing him.

And anyway-

“No,” he frowned, swallowing back the noise in his throat as Harry’s fingers continued to stroke through his hair, nostrils flaring as he stared at Louis. “I mean...not tonight,” Louis clarified. “Today has been hell and we're both fucking exhausted...”

Harry released Louis slowly from his arms.

“I’ve got plenty of energy,” he promised silkily, turning to check on dinner while Louis grasped the counter until his head stopped spinning.

Bell looked up from his bed, the cone still in place and adding to his soulful look. Louis moved across the kitchen to comfort him.

“Hey, it’s not for long,” he soothed, stroking his snout. “You will run off in the rain, huh?”

“His doggy pride is wounded,” Harry called over as he slipped oven mitts on to retrieve their dinner.

Bell jumped up with a bark.

“You can have a little bit,” Louis allowed. “Once it’s cooled down, though,” he added.

“Hey, I hope you’re not selling my dinner short,” Harry chided.

Louis snorted.

“This is the dog who had pan-cooked steak for a whole month,” Louis lamented. “Mrs. Uchima thought she was doing a good deed...”

“I know the feeling,” Harry threw out, dryly.

Louis rolled his eyes and stood up from where he’d crouched to pet Bell.

“Please. We both know you tried to dog-nap him,” he teased.

Harry brought two plates to the table.

“Would you like some wine?” Louis asked, opening his alcohol cupboard.

“Red would be perfect.”

Louis poured two large glasses and planted himself in the seat adjacent to Harry’s, where he’d placed their meals. As soon as he’d sat down, Harry’s knee rested against his.

“I think I should make a toast,” Louis glanced at Harry who was stifling a yawn, fingers coursing into his thick hair.

“Hmm,” he lifted his glass leisurely.

“To new friends,” he began softly. “...And  saviours,” he added.

“To perfect behinds,” Harry chimed in, clinking their glasses. “ _And kisses_ ,” he muttered against the glass before he took a sip of wine.

Louis shovelled food into his mouth to quell the throbbing want that had started up inside him that very first day he’d gone to LION ZEN; and only got stronger each time he looked at Harry.

“You and Bell should pop into the gym some time you know,” Harry commented conversationally.

Louis narrowed his eyes.

“Still trying to steal my dog?”

Harry chuckled, Bell having taken up vigil by his side, licking his lips every time Harry took a mouthful of food.

“You saw my class,” Harry smiled. “It’s fun.”

Louis made a face.

“Excuse you. You didn’t see that bulldozer shove me out of the way,” Louis accused. “Not sure I’d survive a class of thirty guys like that...”

Harry mashed his potato in with the meat of his pie.

“Actually, the guy you’re referring to is no longer a client of mine. But I’m talking about one- on-one. I want you to have my _full_ attention, Lou,” Harry assured.

_No longer a client?_

Louis looked up, curious. Had Harry ousted the giant purely because he pushed Louis out of the way?  Harry smiled at him in such a sweet way that Louis found it hard to believe. But still. _One on one_. That could be...interesting.

“Alright but none of that sitting on a mat in the garden shit. Give me something to kick,” Louis bargained.

“Deal,” Harry agreed, finishing his meal by noisily scraping his fork over his plate to collect any remains.

“Want more?” Louis asked, amused.

Harry glanced at him and dimpled.

“I load up with carbs in the evening,” he shrugged. “I usually eat a lot more than this.”

Louis frowned, scraping back his chair to get up. He took Harry’s plate to the counter.

“Have some more then, Captain America,” Louis scooped out another helping of pie. “Want some bread with that?”

Harry rolled his eyes but sat back, threading his fingers together and resting then behind his head.

“Maybe a couple of slices, if you don’t mind...”

“I wouldn’t want you to shrink back into a pre-Super-Soldier state,” Louis replied. “Have the whole loaf, Cap...”

“Don’t call me that,” Harry chastised softly, eyes lighting up as Louis brought over his second meal and returned to the counter to fetch the wine.

Louis studied him as he topped up their glasses.

“Figured you’d love the hero-worship,” he observed.

Harry loaded his bread with pie and folded it in half, tearing into it hungrily, tongue first.

“I’m not a hero,” Harry eventually said.

“You saved Bell,” Louis countered, with a bark of solidarity from his dog.

Harry fed him a bit of bread.

“ _We_ saved Bell,” Harry corrected. “No hero fights alone.”

“Then I’m your Bucky,” Louis decided. “Always did like being the bad-ass.”

“Well your ass _is_ of heroic proportions,” Harry grinned at his own joke, finishing his second helping.

Louis flicked him a look.

“Want something else?”

“No, I’m good,” Harry lied.

Louis laughed, soft enough not to be mean.

“Come on, then,” he got up and collected his plate. “Come and poke around the fridge, Haz,” he invited.

Harry looked over his shoulder with a twist of his lips.

“I saw some chocolate chip ice cream in the freezer.”

Louis twisted to stare at him. That was _his_ ice cream. His absolute _favourite_ that he kept for days when nothing else could quite cheer him up. And yet super-health-conscious Harry had a hankering for it.

He jerked the freezer open and went about dishing two portions up.

//

“I should head out,” Harry yawned again, as Louis collected their dessert bowls.

“You can stay here,” Louis assured. “The front lawn is a swimming pool at the moment. I wouldn’t want it on my conscience that I turfed you out only for you to trip and drown...”

“Pretty sure you _would_ like to see me fall to my demise,” Harry teased with a froggy smile. “But at least if I die in your house you’re more likely to get tried for my murder.”

Louis gasped.

“You wound me, Harold. As if I’d be complacent enough to be _caught_!”

Harry grinned, rising from his seat with a heavy stretch.

“Okay, show me to my bed chambers, young sir,” he pleaded.

Bell lifted his head from his paws in his bed.

“No, you can’t go with him,” Louis told his dog as he led Harry into the hall towards the stairs.

Bell followed them with a limped walk anyway, barging through their legs to get up the stairs first.

“Alright, here we go,” Louis plucked his strewn linen from the floor of his bedroom, tossing it into the laundry basket. “I changed the bedding when we got back,” he assured, licking his lips nervously as Bell hovered between them, gaze collecting between them both.

“You’re giving me your room?” Harry frowned, eyes raking the simple grey and blue decor; a comfy-looking chair tucked in a corner and stacked with clothes. There was a series of books arranged on several shelves and car models and paraphernalia displayed in a cabinet. A huge signed GREASE poster was framed on the back of the door, but Louis felt like Harry’s eyes were on him more than any of his belongings.

“I can take the couch downstairs,” Louis shrugged. “The spare bedroom is Bell’s so...”

Harry inched closer to the bed while Louis switched places to leave.

“We can—um, we could both share it?” Harry looked at the large King bed and twisted to look at Louis.

“You need your sleep,” Louis mused. “Pretty sure I snore and anyway I should tidy up downstairs and get our wet stuff out of the dryer and—what...what are you doing?”

Louis lifted his chin as Harry walked back towards him, lips curved just-so. He curled a hand around Louis' elbow to guide him closer, his other hand reaching behind Louis to press the bedroom door shut.

“C'mere,” Harry let his fingers slide down Louis' arm to grip his hand, tugging him to the bed. “Stop worrying,” he murmured. “Sleep, hmm?”

Louis glanced up at Harry at his side.

“I’m not seeping until you do,” Harry stated.

_So fucking stubborn._

Louis sighed and rolled into bed, scooting over toward the wall. He usually liked being that side because he felt safer, but he felt anything but safe with Harry's weight dipping the edge of the mattress while he pulled off his hoodie and track pants.

“I normally sleep naked,” Harry told him unnecessarily as he lifted the covers to dip his feet inside; dragging them over his body and curling up cutely with a yawn. “I um...I get hot, you know. In the night.”

 _You are fucking hot, what do you expect?_ Louis turned on his side to ignore his inner ramblings, body way too aware of the new addition to his usually lonely bed.

“Hey, Lou?”

Louis sighed. “Yes, Harry?”

“Do you have a teddy bear I can cuddle?”

“What?” Louis snapped, jerking onto his back.

“Or something soft?” Harry’s voice deepened. “You know...just something I could...wrap my arms around, maybe?”

Louis turned back onto his side. He could feel Harry wriggling closer.

“Maybe we can let Bell up here?” He whispered, the pretty dog having settled in the armchair among Louis’ clean clothes.

“Look, if this is some stupid attempt to spoon then—" Louis paused. _Then what?_ He had nothing.

“Hmm?” Harry prompted, blowing warm air onto the back of Louis' neck.

“Fine,” Louis turned over to face him with a petulant sigh. “Since you just love overstepping boundaries and making yourself a complete nuisance, sure, why not just cuddle up with a near stranger in a storm?”

Harry frowned, pouting sadly.

“I thought you’d—um...it’s great for both your Heart and Root Chakras,” Harry lectured sleepily with a yawn. “Wanna feel loved and safe,” he mumbled, digging his cheek into the pillow in a way which Louis could tell would bear him more pillow marks on waking.

“Are you flipping over or what?” Louis asked when Harry looked to be asleep.

“O-oh,” his eyes popped open, lashes fluttering. “I get to be the-" He gasped, lips falling open. “Little Spoon?” He asked, awed.

Louis stared at him impatiently.

“I’m not sure who you normally sleep with, Haz, but if there's _anyone_ out that that thinks you aren’t fucking _born_ to be a little spoon then kindly send them my way,” Louis derided, curling himself around Harry’s shape. “I mean, who the _fuck_ ,” he whispered to himself, settling his arm over Harry’s side and bending his other to pillow his head.

Harry smiled, secret and happy as he pressed himself into Louis' warmth, fingers sliding over his forearm and threading with Louis’ right before they nestled into sleep.

//

 

The next morning wasn’t the gentle wake up Louis had hoped for. Despite being  reluctantly coaxed into spooning Harry and possible hopes of waking up slowly with him; perhaps with more, experimental kisses, Louis was actually ripped from blissful dreams about laurels and swallows by the sound of Bell gnawing on his cone.

Louis snapped his head up, Harry sleeping on unstirred as Louis hissed at his dog to stop.

“Fuck,” he murmured in belated realisation as to the state of his poor, turned on body. He was hard in his track pants which he was grateful he left on, his body over-hot from being pressed up close the impossibly attractive and unbelievably annoying man in his bed.

Harry looked perfect even in sleep-mode which although was helpful to know because Louis could add it to his evidence that Harry was in fact an alien; in that moment Louis kind of wished that he got go start his day with that view more often. Every day, in fact.

Every day with the added bonus of being able to maybe play with him. Harry could be his living doll that he nurtured and cared for and _kissed. A lot._

_And when the fuck did Louis get so creepy?_

“Hey!” He slashed back the covers as Bell resumed biting the cone on the assumption Louis had zoned out. “Stop that!” He darted across the room to shoo Bell down from the chair.

Bell looked at him and wagged his tail confusedly.

“You have to wear it all week,” Louis told him as Bell began to try and reach the rim of the cone once more, spinning in circles to get to it. “Bell, you’re being silly,” Louis caught him up in his arms and let Bell lick his face. “Calm down.”

“Sorry, I just get so excited in the morning,” came a deep-voiced drawl from the bed.

Louis glanced up at the mattress to find Harry curling over the edge, elbow bending down the side and his chin rested on his arm.

“Harold,” he greeted, releasing Bell to greet him.

Harry reached out with his dropped arm, fussing Bell and offering a lazy _kissy._

“Why are you all the way over there?” Harry’s eyes sparkled as they settled on Louis on his knees on the floor.

“Trying to stop him eating too much plastic,” Louis mused.

Harry’s eyes dropped to his thighs, teeth catching his lip.

“I’ve got big hands,” he said.

And why did Louis' mind conjure an image of them laying side by side, Harry’s hand wrapped around both of their dicks, tugging them off slowly as they kissed and breathed moans into each other’s mouth?

Fuck, _why_?

“I'll have to take him back to the vet,” Louis sighed. “Looks like I’ll need time off work to watch him, too...”

Harry’s head lifted, a furrow forming between his brows as he watched Louis get up.

“Wait,” he reached out, weakly grasping for Louis' jumper and drawing him toward the bed. “I can help you,” he offered. “I want to help.”

Louis stared at him, at his puffy, dry lips and his hazy eyes with curled lashes and his floppy, glossy hair. And yes; the taut muscles in his shoulders and chest which were visible above the line of the blankets.

“Coming back to bed, Lou?”

Louis watched Bell leap onto the bed to attack Harry with affection.

“Not sure a threesome is a good idea,” he commented, making his way to the bathroom.

 

//

Kissing, _clean._

Louis had a newfound respect for the feeling of damp hair clinging to his fingers, the smell of his peach scented shampoo on someone else’s body and—

Shirtless kissing.

Harry’s hands were big around his waist,  Louis having somehow straddled him at the edge of the bed while they digressed into tactile pleasures. Harry was right, he was hot. He was solid, _everywhere_ and so fucking hot. Louis found he liked being scalded. That was a new discovery.

“Fuck, you’re so--" Harry's voice was gravelled and deep; hands slipping to Louis' hips to haul him into his hip-lift, groaning weakly at the friction.

Louis pressed his hand blatantly over Harry’s heat, earning another burn against his skin and a stuttered, helpless gasp and sigh.

“Yeah, Lou...”

Louis tousled his hair, kisses pressed over his stubbled jaw-line as Harry’s fingers reached cautiously towards his ass as if he was afraid of being blatant about wanting to _feel._

“Touch me, already,” Louis encouraged breathily, tugging at the towel fixed loosely around Harry’s waist. “Gonna let me unblock your Chakra?”

Harry laughed but it was quick and weak and then his hands were grasping greedily around the flesh of Louis' ass. Louis flipped back the towel to get a hand around his surging heat, eyes flicking to Harry’s face to catch his pleasure and surprised to find Harry gazing back.

“Feels so good, Lou,” Harry promised throatily as Louis stroked him in his hand nice and slow.

Louis huffed, sure he had nothing on Harry’s previous partners, no doubt all of them equally fit and flexible as the man himself.

Harry’s hand slid off his ass and curled around his neck to draw him into another indulgent kiss, a sexy smile slowly creeping across his face as he pulled back to gasp out at Louis' touch on him.

“You might just...be the best...I’ve—um...” Harry frowned as Louis ran his thumb carefully up the vein pulsing thickly on the underside of his dick, slipping it over his tip and wiping away a little sticky residue there.

He lifted his thumb to his lips and sucked off the come, biting his lip as he watched Harry watching him, entranced. The way he swallowed had Louis wanting to be down his throat.

“Can I touch you?” Harry whispered, eyelids dragging heavy over the eyes.

Louis nodded. So much for his self-control. So much for getting Bell to the vet and trying to hold back.

“Oh, Jesus...”

Harry’s hands were glorious. Truly a gift from God. Louis opened his eyes to Harry’s smug smile and quirked brows.

“So hard, Lou,” the back of his hand brushed beneath Louis' belly button, briefs bunched around his hips.

“What of it?” Louis asked.

“Thought you didn’t like hippies,” Harry gasped in his ear, sucking a kiss beneath it.

Louis whimpered and kissed his mouth, deep and impassioned.

Harry’s dick pulsed in his palm, the precursor to his release. Louis dragged his lips across his damp hair.

“Want you to show me how fucking fit you are,” Louis begged tightly. “Want you to get me filthy, Harold...”

Louis felt his own orgasm edging into his conscience as he stroked, hard and fast between a slow, quivering touch. It was as he tilted Harry’s face up and flicked his tongue back into his mouth that Harry spurted, body tensing with pleasured jerks as his come splattered over Louis' torso, hitting his chin.

Louis laughed, head thrown back to ride his own high, Harry’s teeth sinking into the tender skin of his throat as he moaned deeply and released into Harry's hand; both of them painted with the sticky residue of semen with happy, breathless smiles.

Louis sucked in a breath, eyes cautiously drifting down from the ceiling to flick over Harry’s face. Harry was looking at him, expression unreadable.

“Good?” Louis checked, uncertainty striking him momentarily.

“What do you think?” Harry smirked, scooping up his come from Louis' chin with a fingertip.

Louis smiled, eyes twinkling as he shifted in Harry’s lap. He could feel Harry’s heart thumping as they leaned in to kiss; lips almost touching as they tilted their heads. Harry’s fingers threaded into the back of Louis' hair and Louis grinned as their mouths collided softly in a tender, buzzing kiss.

Louis pulled back to lick Harry’s nose with a giggle, Harry gasping indignantly as Louis scrambled to shift from his lap; Harry’s hands helping to support his weight to stand.

“I’m going to get charged with neglect,” Louis told him as he managed to stand on shaky legs.

Harry’s eyes travelled over him appreciatively.

“I feel pretty attended to, actually...”

“I’m talking about Bell,” Louis whipped him with his t-shirt.

“Oh,” Harry smiled knowingly. “Think I’m the new lap-dog around here now, Lou...”

Louis snorted and went to the bathroom to wipe himself off.

“I don’t have time for two babies,” Louis teased as he started to pull on his t-shirt.

Harry spanked his ass playfully as he passed to use the bathroom, too.

“I’m not completely incapable,” he teased.

“No, you’re a super-hero,” Louis mused as Harry snuck an arm around his waist in the middle of trying to pull on his jeans,  a kiss pressed to the back of his neck.

“Only you think so, Lou, but that’s okay. I knew you were in awe of me from the start...”

Louis snorted and finger-combed his hair.

“Can we please just get to the vets?”

The way Harry looked at him reminded him that he hadn’t actually formally invited Harry along to the appointment. And Harry had said he would help out but—

“I mean, if you want to come,” Louis tacked on with a breezy smile.

Harry’s answering grin was far less innocent.

“Lead the way, Bucky.”


	3. Chapter 3

An elaborate plan was hastily sketched out to split Bell’s recovery time between them both.

Louis acknowledged that Bell’s wellbeing was indeed partly dependent upon Harry’s company; and truth be told he could use the help.

Harry had offered to take him during the day while Louis worked at the shop, so he was surprised to pick up the workshop extension to a call from his nemesis just before lunch.

“Lou, are you busy?” Harry asked.

“Snowed under,” Louis admitted. “What’s up?”

He heard Harry sigh.

“It’s Bell.”

“Has he got worse?” Louis asked, panicked. “Is he okay? What do you need?”

“I need you to relax,” Harry commented fondly. “He’s okay it’s just...He’s a bit sad, I think.” Harry considered. “Shall I bring him back early?”

Louis glanced at the forecourt where three other cars were waiting for his attention.

“Can you make it late afternoon?” He asked. “Unless it’s urgent...”

“No, it’s not urgent, Lou,” Harry assured. “We just miss you that’s all...”

_We?_

Louis looked up to find Niall smirking at him knowingly despite not being able to hear Harry’s side of the conversation. He must have misheard. Harry couldn’t miss him, could he? They weren’t even—well what _were_ they, exactly? Friends who fought a lot and kissed once?

 “I guess I'll see you later, then,” Louis offered vaguely, mind caught up in his thoughts.

“Bye, Lou,” Harry’s deep voice stayed with Louis well after he ended the call.

//

“So, was I right?” Niall asked as Louis started on the last car of the day. He checked his watch. It was 4pm and he was already running late for Harry.

“Not likely,” Louis retorted. “But what are you referring to, exactly?”

Niall laughed.

“Is he bendy?”

“Hey, none of that, young Niall,” Louis called out, propping the bonnet of the car. “A little more respect if you don’t mind...”

“From the guy who ripped into Harry about petting his dog!” Niall argued raucously.

“Yeah, well,” Louis cleared his throat. “He’s not a sex object, is he?”

“Isn’t he?” Niall mused, lifting his brows.

Louis twisted his lips, an irksome smile accompanying a resigned sigh. He and Harry _had_ indulged each other, after all. But it wasn’t _all_ there was between them. Louis may not know Harry very well yet, but he _wanted_ to. 

He turned and leaned his back against the car, gazing across the shop floor.

“No, mate,  I don’t think he is,” Louis murmured honestly, lost in his own thoughts again.

Truth be told, he hadn’t had much chance to think about what their mutual wank _really_ meant. Or where it might lead. Whether it was just a reactive instinct to their initial anger, or whether the anger had been a mask for something deeper, like desire.

Louis didn’t know what any of it meant but he certainly didn’t want his friends assuming the wrong thing.

“Bloody hell, Tommo,” Niall remarked from the belly of the car he was servicing. “Why don't you ask him out? He's not gonna stay single for long with that body and that hair...”

“Thank you, Niall, I am aware of Harry's physical attributes.”

“Then why don’t you just ask him out?”

“I--" Louis floundered for a reasonable excuse.

“You should be trying to woo the guy!” Niall accused hotly.

“Woo what guy?” Harry’s voice cut into the warehouse, bringing Louis up off the bumper of the car with a jolt.

Niall wheeled himself out from underneath his car to amble towards Harry for a hug.

“Louis wants to woo ya, H,” Niall told him with a wink as Bell limped to Louis for his own cuddle.

Louis got to his knees to pull Bell against his chest.

“You sulking,  love?” Louis asked him with kisses to his fur.

Bell licked him in response, wriggling from his hold with a playful bark. Louis smiled up at Harry quizzically.

“He looks alright to me, Haz...”

Harry parted with Niall to stroll over in baggy grey pants and a red floral shirt, smiling lop-sidedly as he got to his knees in front of Louis. Bell jumped up for attention, trying to paw off his cone.

“He’s been pining all day,” Harry frowned, confused.

Bell barked energetically, bouncing between Harry and Louis before trotting off to find Niall who had returned to fixing the car he was working on.

Louis lifted his brows with a slow smile, meeting Harry’s gaze hesitantly.

“You good?” Louis asked.

Harry reached out, fingertips landing on Louis' knee.

“What’s all this about wooing me, then?” He enquired with a knowing smile. “Or is Niall telling fibs again?” He looked across the room to find Niall tucked back underneath the chassis of the car.

“Er, well…if you’re not busy then…um…I could you know...make us some dinner?”

“Don’t do it, Harry, he’ll poison you!” Niall shouted.

Harry chuckled, biting his lip and pulling his hand back to his own lap; maintaining eye contact with Louis. Louis noticed the way his eyes crinkled in the corners and his nose scrunched cutely with his laughter; heart fluttering at the sight.

“Are you finished work for the day?” Harry asked.

Louis felt his heart sink and sighed.

“Not quite. Just got this one to finish,” he murmured.

“Leave it to me, Tommo!” Niall called as Louis stood up, offering a hand to Harry.

Harry took it and helped himself up; body lingering close as he stared down at him. Louis shifted his gaze away; ignoring the crazy rush of his heartbeat.

“I’m not leaving you with all this work, Irish,” Louis replied.

“Yeah you are,” Niall called back. “I’m freeing you up to woo Harry. So, you best get to it...”

Louis glanced at Harry who shrugged and smiled coquettishly.

“I expect to be treated like a Princess,” he joked softly.

Louis watched Harry lift Bell up to fuss him once more; un-popping his overalls to peel them off.

When he sought Harry’s gaze it was travelling over his revealed body, olive irises lit with interest.  

“That moved fast,” Harry commented with a silky voice.

“Ha ha,” Louis rolled his eyes, moving to the kitchen to thoroughly clean his hands and rounding up Bell and Harry towards his truck after bidding farewell to Niall.

“Leave Sandy in the shop if you like,” Louis offered. “I can drive you down later to pick her up...”

“ _Him_ ,” Harry amended. “And you mean _Freddie_.”

Louis hopped up into his truck with a wan smile, waiting for Harry to move his car before joining him.

//

 

Bell sniffed about the house as if they’d only just moved in and hadn’t been living there for the last two years; his eager investigation reminiscent of the youthful tendencies he’d had as a puppy.

Louis watched him sit by Harry’s feet as Harry leaned against the counter to watch him prepare dinner; shoes now kicked off and hair a little softer from the nervous touch of his fingers.

They had _kissed_. And _more_. And they hadn’t spoken about it. Louis maybe wanted _kissing and more_ to happen again. Soon.

Harry lifted Bell up the way he always did when Bell wanted his attention and Louis had a glimpse of how Harry might be with children; naturally attentive and intuitive as to their needs. His eyes shifted to Harry’s face as he softly coaxed Bell into ‘kissies’, drawing a giggle from louis.

“What?” Harry looked over at him with narrowed lashes.

“Nothing,” Louis’s laughter softened. “Just—my dog is besotted,” he mused.

“Oh?” Harry let Bell down gently to the floor, wandering around the island counter to be closer to Louis. “And what about his owner?” He wondered. “How does he feel?”

Louis shoved the macaroni cheese he’d made in the oven to busy his hands.

“That's confidential information,” Louis replied, playing it cool.

Harry circled his waist as he turned away from the oven.

“Is that so?” He asked, alluring eyes tracing over Louis' features as he gently pulled Louis into him and secured him there with his impossibly strong arms.

“Yeah,” Louis scraped his teeth over his lip, smiling weakly. “Top secret.”

“Hmm,” Harry hummed with a dimple-popping smirk. “What will it take to _...reveal_ those secrets, I wonder?”

 _Not much,_ Louis' mind answered automatically as he cupped Harry’s face to kiss him, controlling the way Harry’s tongue licked into his mouth with the lathing of his own as the moment sparked between them, quick and searing.

Harry's hand slid down to his ass, thumbs pressing gently into the flesh as Louis angled his bigger body toward the counter, moaning when he finally pressed Harry up against it.

“Y-yeah,” Harry stammered as Louis tugged at his red shirt to pull it free from his loose trousers, fingers gliding over his skin quickly thereafter while they twisted into another messy kiss, Harry’s thighs hugging Louis' with a pleased squeeze, a whimper of noise trapped in his throat.

The pressure of something against Louis' lower leg had him pulling out of a heated kiss with a gasp; thumbs pressed over Harry's taut nipples. Harry stared at him, breathing ragged and body hot as Louis broke eye contact to check on Bell, the familiar whip on his tail hitting the back of his thighs.

“What is it, buddy?” Louis asked, and Bell bounced playfully on his good paw. “Oh,” he swallowed. “You want to play...”

“Fuck yeah,” Harry mumbled as Louis drew out of the enticing warmth of his body to lean down to pet Bell. Harry’s hand dipped to cup himself through his trousers.

“Go lay in your bed,” Louis pointed to the hallway leading into the living room where Bell had a cosy bed to snooze in, like he usually did before dinner. “Nap time,” Louis added quietly.  “Then we’ll eat, yeah?”

Bell tossed his head awkwardly with the cone, giving Louis an annoyed doggy-huff begore he trotted away into the hall.

“Good boy,” Harry's deep voice startled him, guiding Louis' body back around to the right angle to kiss him once more, the heat of their previous moment not distinguished in the slightest.

“Jesus,” Louis breathed as Harry tilted his face away to suck gently at his throat.

“I keep telling you....I’m _Buddha_ ,” Harry breathed against his skin, biting his shoulder as he drew back Louis' t-shirt to reach.

“I don’t fucking care what you are,” Louis admitted as Harry’s hand slid across his waist and cupped him through his jeans boldly.

Harry’s chuckle was weak and deepened with a moan as Louis hardened against the persuasion of his fingers; their mouths meeting in another impassioned kiss.

Harry's big hands slid downwards with his body, Louis hoping for those paws to grasp his butt, but they roamed lower; curling around his thighs as Harry slid down to rest on his knees.

Harry glanced up with dark eyes and a dimple flickering in his cheek. He dipped his chin and kissed the denim bulging under the strain of Louis' hardening dick.

“Can I?” He asked with a devilish smirk and a wink.

Louis frowned, licking over his lips thoughtfully despite the overwhelming throbbing of his dick begging him to say yes.

“Let’s go upstairs,” Louis murmured, but the apparent agreement had Harry unfastening his fly and pulling the zipper down, lips pressed together in focus.

“I’m good,” Harry promised. “Strong legs,” he breathed, “Like yours,” he placed a kiss on Louis' thigh in recognition.

Louis twisted to look behind him on the counter for a towel, sighing frustratedly when he couldn’t spot one, but the cloth of his oven gloves peeked over the edge of the counter, the right one hanging down where he’d thrown them in a hurry.

He stretched his body to catch them up in his fingers, Harry peeling down his boxers in the same moment.

“Fuck, I’m not gonna last a second,” Louis muttered, thrusting the gloves into Harry’s shoulder.

“You want me to use these on you, Lou?” His brows furrowed curiously.

“For your knees!” Louis gestured furiously at the hard floor. “Please,” he added softly, concerned.

Harry merely smiled patiently and tucked the fabric carefully underneath his knees, taking Louis’ hard length into his hand and then his mouth with no teasing licks or bites.

“O-oh,” Louis gasped, gently scratching his fingertips into Harry’s hair and caressing his scalp. “Yeah, that’s....uh....you’re really—”

Harry moaned around him, knees widening. Louis heard the soft scratch of another zipper, opened his eyes to watch Harry touch himself while Louis was in his mouth and almost lost control at the sight.

“Fuck,” he stated, overwhelmed.

His hips gently pulsed to Harry’s rhythm, longer tongue drawing up his underside teasingly and curling around his shaft before he'd bob his head to take him in deeper, the hand around Louis jacking at the same slow rate as his own.

Louis' legs began to tremble, Harry letting go of his own dick to grasp the meat of his thigh to keep him steady as he picked up pace,  lips swelling obscenely with the warm friction and brows furrowing in concentration.

When Harry pulled away to take a shaky breath, his cheeks and chest were flushed, his trousers pulled taut over his thighs and his hair was a beautiful wreck, but Louis would never forget the intensity of his eyes; of the plush pink tone of his mouth, glistening with saliva which coursed onto his chin. Harry wiped it away and stared at him, breathing hard.

“Come on my face, Lou “ he told him and slid Louis to the back of his mouth, using the flesh of his cheek as he sucked in for pressure.

Louis’ eyes flickered shut,  back arching as he desperately tried to work out _how_ to complete Harry’s request, but Harry had everything under control apparently,  pulling Louis from his mouth with wet, messy splashes of saliva and come; Louis' release tugged from his body with pained cries as Harry fisted himself to the same pinnacle. He spurted stickily over his own thighs and Louis' legs with slow jerks, soft throaty grunts punctuating his pleasure.

Louis dared to look down, Harry’s head cast back to bare his throat; his eyes closed and Louis' seed spilled over his skin.

“Yeah, Lou,” He smiled happily to himself, leaned back on his haunches, hand still clasped around his softening dick.

Louis twisted off his t-shirt in the absence of a tea towel and gently wiped away the mess so that Harry could open his eyes. When he did, he smiled in a way that made Louis' heart twist.

“Hey,” he murmured, soft and fond.

“Hey,” Louis mumbled, fixing his clothing so that he could help Harry up.

Harry moved slowly and sagged against Louis in a sloppy hug once he was on his feet.

“Hmm,” he tightened Louis into his arms, lips brushing his ear and hand splaying over his bare back.

“I guess it’s not a secret any more,” Louis carefully combed Harry’s hair off his forehead with his fingers.

“Mm?” Hazy green eyes flicked to his, sleepy and yet focused.

“How I feel,” Louis smirked.

Harry’s lips pulled into a smug curve.

“I’m not sure you’ve made it _entirely_ clear,” he teased, tongue dipping onto his lower lip.

Louis’ eyes were drawn to that movement, his skin heating up with a delicious deep burning itch at the memory of that tongue on him, along with the gentle fingers that trailed over his bare skin, now.

“No?” He breathed, Harry leaning down to kiss him slowly, cupping his jaw and pulling him in tight.

“Nuh-uh,” Harry’s eyes twinkled as he Eskimo kissed Louis in lieu of shaking his head.

“Fuck...I need to fix this right away,” Louis murmured, mock seriously, small hand slipping onto Harry’s butt to squeeze. “Think you can give me another chance?”

Harry tilted his head, convincingly thoughtful as he played along.

“ _Perhaps_ I’d be willing to give you a chance,” he mused. “Depending on what you have planned...”

Louis twisted his lips, trying to curb his grin and the warm feeling spreading up his stomach onto his chest.

“Well I was thinking...maybe...”

“Hmm?” Harry kissed him, biting his lip with a hidden grin.

“You could uh...” Louis squeezed Harry’s waist gently with both hands. “You could um, stay the night?” He looked up, eyes hesitant to meet Harry’s.

“Oh?” Harry asked, lips curving knowingly.

“We could you know...do whatever you liked, really...”

Harry blinked, lips pursing as he almost went cross-eyed focusing on Louis’ mouth to draw his thumb over his lower lip.

“How about mattress surfing down the stairs?” He suggested mildly with a sputter of laughter as Louis glanced at him, bemused.

Harry twisted away with a giggle just as Bell re-entered the room.

“Hey, boy!” Harry lifted him up to nuzzle him and Louis tried to ignore the come staining both of their outfits as he did so. “How do you feel about me having a sleepover, hm? Would that be okay with you?”

Bell woofed his agreement as Louis' heart melted a bit at the sentiment of Harry asking his dog for permission to stay.

“Are you hungry?” Louis checked as he lifted his macaroni from the oven.

Harry flashed him a wolfish look.

“Starving,” he assured.

Louis lifted plates down and began to dish up while Harry located Bell’s food with Louis' help and made sure he had fresh water before they sat down to eat.

“You probably have healthy, vegan stuff usually,” Louis murmured apologetically as Harry tucked into his plate heartily.

“This is so good, Lou,” he said once he finished his mouthful. Green eyes flicked to blue. “Tastes nearly as good as you...”

Louis choked on his pasta and recovered himself, resiliently continuing to eat despite the weight of Harry’s gaze on him.

 

//

 

“Does he always—"

“No.” Louis squeezed the bridge of his nose, Bell safely tucked up in the living room like Louis always did when he had overnight guests.

He’d started howling the second Harry had gotten loud in his throaty cries, Louis’ tongue _and_ fingers crammed tightly inside him as he worked to get Harry to orgasm for a second time that night.

They’d had to stop when even Harry biting his own hand hadn’t been enough to trick his dog into believing they were asleep. Apparently Harry’s whimpers were still enough for Bell to know something was going on.

“Hey,” Harry nosed into his shoulder, kissing his skin with a smile. “We can rain check, it’s not a problem. “

“He’s never done this before,” Louis sighed. “He was good as gold earlier!”

Harry nuzzled into him, pulling Louis closer, temptingly.

“Do you think he needs to go outside for a toilet break?”

 “He’s used to sleeping in here with me,” Louis huffed, guilt creeping over him. “It- it’s a bad habit, I know,” he rolled his eyes. “But I wasn’t expecting...you know...”

Harry kissed his temple.

“Let him come up,” he murmured softly.

Louis frowned, twisting onto his side to tousle Harry’s thick hair.

“Won’t that um...ruin _this_?” He whispered. Harry’s body was warm and bare, pressed against his in their tender cuddle but Louis could easily edge him back to arousal.

He distracted Harry into a kiss in petty persuasion. The moment Harry moaned, Bell yelped loudly from the living room for attention, causing Harry to huff a chuckle against Louis' lips.

“I think we should give this up,” he kissed Louis sweetly, once. “For now,” he added when Louis looked desolate. “Let’s figure things out, first. Go get Bell,” he insisted.

Louis sighed but dragged himself out of bed, digging some pyjama bottoms from his drawer for them both and heading down the stairs to fetch Bell from the living room.

//

 

Louis woke up to the familiar faint smell of dog-breath, eyes fluttering open to check if Harry had already gone.

It was early, but he was there, curled opposite Louis with Bell between them, fast asleep.

Harry’s eyes opened as Louis yawned and stretched a little.

“Hi,” his smile was slow and sexy, green eyes warm with sparkle.

“Morning,” Louis tugged the hand he had clasped into t-shirt Harry had pulled on before they’d fallen asleep.

“Is it safe to kiss you hello?” Harry asked as he lifted himself up, propping his weight on his elbow as he leaned across Bell to cup Louis' cheek, pressing a dry kiss to his mouth.

 Bell shifted, yawning with a whine as he woke up.

“Haven’t forgotten _you_ ,” Harry tapped the cone before kissing Bell’s snout and earning a doggy lick to his chin.

Louis squeezed his arm over Bell’s side.

“You were a naughty boy last night,” Louis told Bell and Harry lifted his brows playfully.

“I thought you liked naughty boys,” he remarked, twisting to roll out of bed.

“You’re uh...you’re going?” Louis wondered.

Harry smiled as he stretched out.

“Gotta go for a run and get Freddie before I open up,” he shrugged. “Wanna run with me?”

Louis watched as Bell wriggled excitedly about,  getting to his feet and jumping from the bed to land with happy barks at Harry’s feet.

Harry laughed and petted the dog, chastising him for jumping on his bad foot.

“Someone looks happy about running before sunrise,” Louis murmured, even though he took Bell on plenty of hikes himself.

“C'mon Lou,” Harry winked, tilting his head toward the door.

Louis huffed and dragged himself out from under the warm covers on his bed with messy hair and a bare torso.

“Alright, Gym-freak, I’m up,” he lamented as he went to make himself presentable enough to face the world.

“Me too,” Harry agreed with a deep voice, gently curling Louis into a cuddle that branded his morning arousal against Louis' hip. “Mmm...”

The sharp yap of Bell’s bark reminded them, reluctantly,  that they couldn’t dawdle as much as they’d like.

Louis patted Harry’s behind gently before pulling away from his tempting arms.

 

//

Niall had been looking at Louis a certain way all morning. He hadn’t offered much more than a “Morning" until they sat down for mid-morning tea, Louis dipping his biscuit and shoving it in his mouth at the same moment Niall chose to talk.

“Oh yeah?” He winked, grinning slightly as he nibbled his own digestive.

Louis chewed and swallowed.

“Oh yeah, what?” He asked.

“You and Hazza,” Niall clarified.

Louis narrowed his eyes, dunking a chocolate cookie.

“I don’t know what you mean.”

Niall snorted. Which was—okay, reasonable considering Louis' blatant lie. But still. A man had morals. And that included not kissing and telling his mates what he got up to with his dates.

“Well let me present the evidence,” Niall lifted a hand and tagged his fingers. “Yesterday you got shy about talking about fucking him, then you left work early to “cook him dinner”,” he made speech marks with his fingers and smiled lewdly. “Then you both roll up this morning in _your_ truck  in matching sweats and let’s not forget that steaming great kiss he gave you before he left...the one you thought I didn’t see because you tried to hide behind the shutter while he gave it ya...”

Louis couldn’t help the flush of warmth that hit his cheeks, his wet biscuit sticking in his throat and causing him to choke momentarily.

“People kiss, Niall,” Louis replied, feigning indifference. “Doesn’t have to mean anything.”

“No but,” Niall struck another finger. “You told me it’s not just sex.”

“Okay, then, what’s your conclusion?” Louis wondered,  braving it out.

Niall grinned.

“You’re boyfriends,” he announced. “And I'm the best matchmaker in the world...”

Louis rolled his eyes, reaching for another biscuit and checking on Bell. He’d been despondent all morning which Louis put down to his late-night activity. It was Harry's turn to take him, but he had a seminar to attend in the City, so Louis agreed to watch Bell in the day.

“Not boyfriends,” Louis said only.

“Yet,” Niall lifted his digestive in punctuation.

Louis refused to answer, shunting Niall’s feet off the coffee table so that he jerked and spilled his tea into his lap, earning a happy giggle from Louis who scampered away to avoid a revenge attack.

//

When Bell hadn’t perked up by mid-afternoon Louis decided to take him for a long walk around the block past LION ZEN, in the hope that a hint of his second favourite place would revive his energy.

Bell only whined sadly when they passed Harry’s gym and strode towards the dog park instead, Louis looking up dog trainers on his phone while he walked.

He was still mortified at the fact Bell had interrupted his evening with Harry, but it was his own fault for allowing Bell to develop bad habits, so he could admit he needed help to rectify the whole mess and ensure Bell had the proper support in adjusting to the possibility of another person coming into their lives.

 _Harry._ A person that Bell seemed to adore.

Louis wasn’t entirely sure who Bell was jealous _of_ , him or Harry. It was a strange feeling, but it was no longer one that angered him since Harry happened to be quite pleasant to have around. More than pleasant in fact. Really quite alluring.

Louis huffed at the idea he missed him already as they’d only been apart for a few hours. Harry was getting in late from Tokyo, so they’d agreed to exchange Bell the following morning, Harry promising to jog past  on his early run.

Louis could admit that by dinnertime, when he sat down with his meal for one, that Bell’s sad sighs reflected his own aching heart.

Somehow- and he wasn’t sure how _exactly_ \- Harry had worked himself under Louis’ skin enough that both he and Bell were solemn without him.

After dinner he sat beside Bell on the sofa and flicked through the gallery on the gym website to cheer them both up; the photographs earning excited barks from Bell only to be followed by begging looks and wistful whining.

At 1am; wide awake and frustrated at himself, Louis picked up his phone. If Harry was home asleep already then he’d pick the message up when he woke. If he was travelling, still, he might appreciate a message to keep him entertained.

Louis: _Bell’s doing that sad face thing again_ L 🐶

He sighed, cradling his phone against his chest, his back to Bell as his dog slept peacefully on.

The buzz of his phone had his heart leaping.

Harry: _Me too_ L

Louis: _Bad day?_

Harry: _No Lou & Bell _LL

Louis huffed, smiling to himself. Harry was such a flirt.

Louis: _Are you home, yet?_

Harry: Not yet 😢 _Missed the train I hoped to get_ 🙄 _On my way back now._

Louis shifted, sitting up in bed a bit.

Louis: _Need a lift from the station?_

 Harry: _I’ll grab a taxi, Lou._

Harry: _Everything ok?_

Louis: _Can’t sleep. Coming to get you. See you outside._

Louis rolled out of bed to get dressed, flicking on the light to wake Bell. His phone buzzed several times on the bed and he smirked, pulling on grey sweats and a hoodie, Bell watching him with a curious woof.

“C’mon then, pup,” Louis walked over to lift Bell off the bed. “We’re fetching the love of your life.”

Bell barked twice and it sounded like an accusation. _Your_ life. Louis rolled his eyes and checked his messages at the foot of the stairs where he fetched his keys and Bell’s jacket, grabbing the blanket off the back of his sofa in case Harry was cold.

Harry: _Wait_

Harry: _Don’t come_

Harry: _I can get a cab!_

Harry: _Lou, I’ll get a cab_ 😵

Harry: _TELL ME YOU HAVENT LEFT YET._

Harry: 📣 _LOU_

Louis smirked, locking his front door.

Louis: _See you soon_ 😙🐶👦

//

 

Harry looked weary as he plodded across the rain-soaked street outside the station, Louis yawning behind his hand right before Harry appeared; his brows furrowing in tired annoyance, perhaps.

Louis rolled down his window, eyes flicking over Harry’s day-worn, extra curly hair and the tortoiseshell-framed, mocha tinted glasses perched on his face. They weren’t quite as big as the pink pair from Wangs, but they were very _Tokyo_.

“Told you I could get a cab,” Harry greeted, hiding his billowing white trousers, pink socks and cream loafers by crowding close to the truck.

Louis shrugged, leaning across the seat of the truck to pop the passenger door.

“I don’t see any cabs, might as well jump in...”

Harry huffed and moved to climb in, eyeing Louis warily.

“Don’t say a word,” he warned as Bell nosed into his lap.

“About what?” Louis asked as he pulled away.

Harry snorted, stroking Bell tiredly.

“My outfit,” he rolled his eyes, crossing his legs and dangling one loafer from his toes to showcase the wrinkled stack of his pink socks.

Louis gave him a quick glance, bemused.

“Hadn’t noticed anything out of the ordinary,” he murmured. “So how was your day?” Louis changed subject.

“Long,” Harry described, voice scratchy with exhaustion. “Interesting yet boring.”

“Huh,” Louis nodded, reaching over to squeeze his ankle. “What was the seminar about?”

“It was about the importance of using natural light to boost feelings of wellbeing,” Harry shared. “I’ve been thinking about putting skylights in at LION ZEN for a while.”

Louis bit back his natural, teasing remark about the gym becoming any more pompous, sensing that Harry wasn’t in the mood to spar back.

“I know a guy who could do that for you,” he offered softly, tugging the blanket out from underneath Bell’s paws. “Here...”

Harry took the blanket with a confused pout, unfolding it and swathing it around his shoulders, over his wool coat.

“Thank you.”

“Not far now,” Louis assured as Harry curled up a bit in the corner of the cab with a sigh.

“Thanks, Lou,” he mumbled.

Louis pulled up outside Harry’s place and jumped down from his seat, walking around the truck to stir him gently.

“C’mon, angel,” Louis smiled as Harry squinted at him blearily. “You’re home.”

Harry let Louis walk him to his door, Bell watching from the truck as Louis wound his arm tightly around Harry’s body to guide him up the path. The blanket was tugged tightly around his shoulders as he yawned, twisting his head to press a kiss against Louis' hair.

“Get home, Lou,” he pleaded with a tired blink, licking his lips.

Louis nodded, insecurity washing over him for a moment as he hovered, wanting to see Harry inside safely without the awkward uncertainty of whether he'd get a quick kiss goodbye.

“See you in a few hours, then,” Louis nodded

“Lou,” Harry tugged him back by his jacket, opening his arms and wrapping Louis with them and the blanket caping his back flapped over Louis’ arms softly. Louis cuddled into the comfort with a sigh.

“Stay warm,” Louis rubbed his arm, waiting for Harry to unlock his door and step inside before he turned back towards the truck, ruffling Bell’s fur when he was sat inside.

Bell looked at him and then Harry’s door with a questioning noise.

“Another time, buddy,” Louis promised.

//

 

“Fuck, you look good sweaty,” Harry grasped Louis’ wrists and pinned them to the gym-mat, straddling his waist only to sit back on his thighs to prevent Louis from wriggling out from underneath him. “How is that?”

“Shouldn’t I be asking you that?” Louis gasped for breath, his session with Harry challenging his fitness “You’re the seasoned kickboxer, not me.”

“You’re so—”

“Pretty?” Louis fluttered his lashes with a wide smile.

“Infuriating,” Harry amended, thumbs stroking over the throbbing pulse points in his wrists.

“Mmm, not sure you mean that... Something you want to show to the class, Harry?” Louis teased, knowing full well he was the only member of the class since Harry had insisted on it.

“No, I think I’m good, actually,” Harry smirked leaning over Louis with a challenging lift of his brows.

“Oh? What about the thing that’s currently poking my stomach then?” Louis licked his lips, experimentally twisting his hips to see if he had any leverage now that Harry was half laid on him. He didn’t, but he wasn’t going to show his surrender.

“That thing?” Harry ground down a bit, dick burning up Louis' belly. “That’s nothing, Lou. Is it bothering you?”

Louis took his chance when Harry’s breath hitched slightly when Louis wriggled beneath him, his grip letting up for a second, but it was long enough for Louis to flip them, rolling Harry back onto the mat.

“I didn’t say I didn’t like it, love,” Louis smirked, biting his lip to grind his ass back against the thick ridge of Harry’s heat. “I-in fact...” He moaned, circling his hips as he settled into a straddle across Harry’s hips.

“Fuck!” Harry gave up to Louis pressing _his_ hands into the floor.

“Sounds good to me,” Louis murmured, stealing a kiss by laying himself fully against Harry’s body.

“I don’t recall mentioning fucking _you_ ,” Harry breathed when Louis pulled away, kisses pressed to Harry’s lightly stubbled jaw.

“Wait, what?” His head popped up, confused.

Harry used his weight to regain control, a smug smile dimpling his cheek as he gathered Louis back underneath him.

His voice was deep and raspy and panting as he whispered; “Gotcha.”

Louis' lips fell open.

“You little-!”

“Who you calling _little_?” Harry seared a kiss to his mouth to cut him off; Louis winding his arms and legs around Harry’s body to rub against him with a breathy sigh of appreciation.

“Cocky little Buddha aren’t you?” Louis accused as Harry aligned their bodies to rock his hips just _right_ so that they both saw stars.

“ _Cocky_ is right,” He hummed.

Louis didn’t have enough fight left in him to argue, giving himself up to Harry’s persuasion with a soft noise of want in his throat.

Harry nuzzled his nose, hot bodies rock hard and melded together.

“Think I can take you to bed without Bell wanting to get in on it?” Harry asked, dipping to suck kisses from Louis' mouth.

“Niall has him,” Louis breathed. “We can fuck as much as we like...”

Harry lips pulled into a predatory grin, rolling to get himself up from the mat.

“Wait, Niall offered to dog-sit?” Harry meshed his fingers with Louis' to walk him to the showers, chest still heaving with trying to catch his breath. He adjusted himself in his silk shorts openly.

“He’s trying to convince Hailee to get a dog,” Louis mused. “Figured it’d give us a chance to—you know.”

“Surf mattresses on the stairs?” Harry glanced over with a giggle.

Louis pushed him into the shower-room with a wrestled hug.

//

 

Oh _god_. Harry was loud. So delightfully, unexpectedly _loud._ People expected _Louis_ to be loud because his voice often cut over others, demanding to be heard.

But _fuck_. Harry was loud.

The noises he’d made which had disturbed Bell were only a tiny tip of the iceberg.

And—

 _Sex with Harry_.

That was a thing. A thing that had happened.  A thing that Louis didn’t feel quite part of somehow. Like it had happened _to_ him and he’d floated outside of it all.

But no. Harry had looked into his eyes as he’d fucked him against the wall. He'd kissed him and fisted him off and—

That thing with his hips? _Buddha._

He had a beautiful dick. Louis knew that already. It felt even better _inside him_ ; impossibly thick and throbbing.  Deliciously _tight._

_Fuck._

Louis couldn’t breathe. He was overwhelmed.  His chest was hot and his ribs hurt and his fingers were in Harry’s hair where they’d crashed on his big bed, Harry’s long and solid body overlapping him to pin him in place, almost.

Louis felt the aftermath of his orgasm lap over him in warm shimmering pulses, Harry’s arms curling him in tightly to keep him from drifting away. Harry nuzzled into his sweaty neck, swallowing hard enough for Louis to hear.

“You okay, love?” Louis fingered through his hair caringly.

Harry nodded, squeezing tighter.

Louis opened his eyes, trailing his fingers over Harry’s glorious, muscled body. He was breath-taking naked, there was a good reason for him to wear ugly clothes.

“You sure?” Louis kissed his forehead.

Harry let out a contented hum and nestled into sleep, leaving Louis to drift off after.

 

//

 

Louis stepped into LION ZEN a few weeks later with a nervous breath, hands tucked into his jeans pockets and Bell’s leash loose around his wrist.

He hadn’t made an official visit for some time and he wasn’t sure whether Liam knew they were dating now.

“Louis!” Liam greeted him vibrantly as Louis studied the newly fitted sky-lights in the roof.

“Looks good in here,” Louis hugged Liam as he dashed from behind the reception desk to greet him, Bell receiving a fuss shortly after.

“You’re very popular, you know,” Liam told him with a grin.

“I...am?” He questioned confusedly as another patron approached the desk.

“You’re Louis, right?” The guy asked and Louis recognised him from the pictures on the website. It was the Japanese guy Louis had thought Harry was dating when he’d first clicked into the gallery.

“Right,” Louis nodded, fidgeting.

“Congratulations, man,” the guy moved to hug him, too. “I’m so happy for you and Harry...”

“Happy..?” Louis whispered sending Liam a bemused look as Bell surged forward playfully. “Uh, this is Bell, and you are?”

“Jimmy,” he smiled. “I’m an old friend of Harry’s.”

“I see,” Louis nodded even though he didn’t, really.

“Harry's making smoothies,” Liam offered while Jimmy led Bell away to join him on his work-out.

Louis looked across the room to the refreshments bar, smirking as Harry came into view, curls clipped messily on top of his head, his lemon yellow adidas pants and a white vest clinging to his strong body.

“Heyyy!” Harry grinned as Louis approached,  abandoning the blender he was commandeering to greet him. “Hi,” he added more softly with a lingering kiss to Louis' cheek once he had him in his arms.

Louis beamed, eyes crinkling as he slipped his arms around Harry’s shoulders and squeezed, tiptoeing to kiss his lips when he pulled out of the hug.

“Hi, love. Busy making grass-shakes?”

Harry rolled his eyes and moved behind the counter to finish the drink he’d been making. He apologised to the female customer with a dimpled smile and she turned and waved to Louis as she left.

Louis hopped up onto a stool.

“Why do I get the feeling you’ve been telling people about me?” Louis wondered as Harry cleaned up.

“Want a vegan chocolate ice cream shake, Lou?” Harry offered.

“Sure, why not,” Louis mused. “I’ll give it a whirl...”

He slipped his phone from his pocket and started a new search on LION ZEN. He selected the gallery and gaped as a shot of him and Harry topped the section, a tiny love-heart with an arrow through it placed between their faces and Louis' named added in scripted text beneath his photo.

It was one of the selfies he and Harry had taken in their private sessions, heads pressed close together with sweated hair and flushed cheeks, happy smiles on their faces.

“Lou!” Harry gasped, snatching his phone as he came around the front of the counter to personally deliver his smoothie. “You weren’t supposed to see that,” he pouted, sliding Louis' phone into his own pocket.

“Oh, really?” Louis plucked the drink from Harry’s fingers with a brow arch. “You weren’t going to tell me that you’ve published our relationship status online? Why am I getting a sense of de ja vu, here?” He rubbed his chin in jest.

Harry's lip protruded further in his sulk.

“Heyyy,” he murmured, glancing at Louis coyly. “It’s my blog, alright? I’m allowed to draw hearts around my boyfriend's name...”

Louis breath caught, heart fluttering. Hearing Harry say it was so, _so_ different than seeing him publish it in a cute picture-blog.

“Yeah,” Louis agreed, sliding the drink onto the counter and reaching for Harry’s hand to tug him closer. “You can also kiss him when he visits you at work...”

Harry shifted into the move easily, grinning as he sucked Louis' lips at first before parting their mouths with his lips and curling in his tongue.  Louis tugged him in with his vest, kissing him back passionately, wishing the feeling in his heart could be stamped on Harry’s lips with his own. Wishing he could lick it into his mouth with his tongue.

“Mmm,” Harry pulled away with a longing moan, soft, almost sad kisses pressed to Louis' mouth.

“You have work to do,” Louis thumbed over his jaw. “See you tonight?”

Harry sighed, dipping his head to drop a kiss to Louis' forehead.

“You will,” he agreed. “Are we testing Bell’s training again?” He smirked.

Louis nodded, glancing over to look for his dog and finding Bell sitting watching them from a few feet away, tongue lolling as he panted from his exercise with Jimmy.

“The trainer had this crack theory you know,” Louis rolled his eyes as Harry stepped away from him to greet Bell with a cuddle and a kiss.

“Oh?” Harry looked over his shoulder as Louis stood up to join them.

“Yeah, not sure I should repeat it to be honest,” he mused.

Harry stood up, lifting Bell in his arms to nose into his fur.

“Spill it, Lou,” Harry peeked at him with dimples.

“Well...” Louis bounced on his heels with a nervous chuckle. “She thinks that Bell wasn’t actually _jealous_ as such...”

“Hmm?” Harry cradled Bell like a baby as he wriggled onto his back, paws bent submissively.

“She thinks that he uh...that umm...”

Harry’s eyes flicked to his, brows furrowing.

“That he what, Lou?”

Louis reached out to fuss Bell, tucking Harry’s hair back that fell into his face; the part not clipped up on his head.

“She thinks that he misses _both_ of us,” Louis murmured. “She thinks that’s why his behaviour changed when we had him separately and why he was happier when we were together and she thinks that he was howling because he was used to you leaving, you know, _after_. And he was trying to get our attention so that we’d stay together, you know?”

“H-he cock-blocked us because he didn’t want me to leave after we fucked?” Harry para-phrased, snorting out a giggle.

Louis chuckled out breathily, cheeks warm.

“Yeah, something like that.”

Harry supported Bell in one arm and cupped Louis’ cheek with his hand.

“You know what the solution to that is don’t you?” He smirked.

Louis' heart began pounding because he _did_ know what the solution was and when the trainer, Eles had suggested it, he’d frozen in shock and told her firmly that it wasn’t possible.

_“The ultimate solution would be to live together,” Eles had shrugged like that was no big deal. “You’re in a relationship anyway, it’s the next logical step.”_

Louis, however had felt the ground drop out from underneath him at the suggestion; because until Eles had mentioned it out loud, he hadn’t allowed himself to acknowledge just how badly he wanted that, too. To live with Harry.

And now Harry was looking at him like he had figured everything out and Louis wasn’t sure he could _cope_ if Harry didn't feel the same.

“What if I don't leave?” Harry blinked slowly, lips pressing together.

Bell sensed the weight of the moment, looking at Louis hopefully.

“Y-you, uh...what?” Louis stammered, grasping the wrist of the hand touching his face. He felt dizzy suddenly, like everything was spinning around.

Harry shifted, shoulders lifting as he pursed his lips slightly, nostrils flaring attractively.

“What if I just...stay?” Harry repeated, eyes intense as they focused on Louis.

“Forever?” Louis whispered, thumb digging into Harry’s wrist.

Harry’s lips pulled sideways in a wry twist.

“I mean...it wouldn’t be _terrible_ ,” he murmured, staring at Louis for his reaction.

Louis imagined all the Yoga Harry might practice in the living room or out on the back lawn the summer sun. He pictured him curled up in the armchair or thrashing him at ping-pong in the games room. 

“It really wouldn't,” Louis mumbled with a swallow. “It wouldn’t be terrible at all...”

Harry bent to place Bell carefully on the floor, sliding both arms around Louis' waist.

“So here I am, asking you if I can move in...but pretending that Bell is the reason,” Harry grinned.

Louis’ smile was slow and certain.

“And here I am asking _you_ to stay with me, and _not_ because of Bell,” Louis replied.

Harry’s dimples deepened to the point Louis thought his whole face might cave into them.

“Well, I always knew you were hot for me,” he murmured; cupping the back of Louis' head to kiss him.

 

//

 

“Lou! Lou, where are ya?” Niall rushed into the warehouse, flapping a sheet of paper hectically.

“I’m right here,” Louis wheeled himself out from underneath the car he'd been working on.

“Why didn’t you tell me about this?” Niall slapped the paper on the ground beside Louis' head, carrying on his rushed walk to the staffroom where he dumped their boxes of Wangs takeaway.

 

Louis smirked at Niall as he passed him to wash his hands for lunch.

“Harry’s having a pet spa, Niall,” Louis supplied dryly.

“I can see that!” Niall huffed. “Why’s he doing it on Valentine's?!”

“Oh _that_ ,” Louis nodded, untucking his rolled-up sleeves as he sat down. “He doesn’t believe in commercial holidays.”

“But you’re gonna get a bunch of lovey-dovey couples coming!” Niall complained.

“Harry’s a free spirit, Niall. Who am I to quell that spirit?”

“Fucking hell, you are in love, aren’t you?” Niall scoffed, gnawing through prawn crackers.

Louis smiled a bit, despite himself, cheeks warm at the accusation.

“I think it’s cute that he wants to pamper animals,” Louis murmured.

“A year ago, you’d have been going off on a long rant about what a pompous moron he was,” Niall commented.

“He’s _my_ pompous moron now, there’s a difference,” Louis argued.

“You two are so fucking cute,” Niall beamed proudly. “I hope you’re proposing to him?”

Louis smirked, not embarrassed about his eventual plan to ask Harry to marry him.

“Well I can’t ask him on _Valentine's_ can I?” Louis rolled his eyes.

“I dunno, Lou, I think that’s pretty damn romantic if you ask me!”

Louis watched Niall scoff the rest of his lunch with a thoughtful frown.

 

//

 

The spa day was- as expected- absolute,  pure bedlam.

Louis waited until the last sessions were over, the vendors having packed up and left and the gym staff ushered on their way subtly by Louis.

“Love, I’m just grabbing my toolbox from the truck, so I can fix that leaky fountain,” Louis said of the miniature temple which kept trickling too fast and then stopping completely; upsetting the peaceful balance in the room.

 _Or so Harry had said_.

“Okay, Lou!” Harry called out, striding through the room with another full black sack, his tortoiseshell glasses paired with simple black jeans and a t-shirt, a pair of beautiful red boots on his feet with a dragon design on the sides.

He'd slowed down a little from the frantic pace of the morning, but all Louis wanted to do was rub his shoulders and his feet and tuck him into bed.

He ran down to the parking lot, his old friend Ed meeting him there with a pet carrier, a young Malamute puppy yapping at him happily from inside.

“Shh,” Louis hushed him with an irrepressible smile. “You’re meant to be a surprise, okay?”

Louis hugged Ed goodbye and crept up the steps, keeping a close eye on the door for Harry. He set the cage down and lifted the puppy out, pulling the ribbon from his pocket carefully to tie around his neck.

From his other pocket he pulled out a ring box and threaded the jewellery onto the ribbon, twisting it around the dog's collar to make sure it was secure.

“Right, you’re good to go, fluff,” Louis told him, setting the dog down inside the door while Harry was in the Yoga studio clearing up.

The clatter of nails against flooring signalled the presence of a new dog, Bell having curled up on a blanket some time earlier and was still fast asleep as Louis waited for Harry to call out.

 

//

 

“Lou? Is there another customer?” Harry called, sitting cross-legged for a five-minute power-yoga slot.

Harry tilted his head as a grey and white marked puppy scattered into the room.

“Oh hello!” Harry beamed, body aching tiredly as he leaned forward to pick up the young pup when he got close enough. “Who are you?”

Harry looked to the doorway once more.

“Lou? Did you get back, yet?” He called.

The silence was strange, but he was too enamoured by the young dog to investigate, fingers soon tracing the yellow ribbon tied around his collar.

“Oh, you look like a present,” Harry smiled. “Maybe someone wants to get you groomed, ready?” He nuzzled into the super soft fur of the husky-like animal.

Harry shot up off the floor with the puppy supported in one hand, his curiosity getting the better of him as a heavy object on the ribbon caught his attention.

 “I like fixing things on collars, too,” he told the puppy. “What’ve you got, then?”

Harry's fingers found the metal circle and lifted the rose-gold band towards the light; a huge, exquisite diamond sparkling prettily at him from inside a flower-shaped clasp, more tiny diamonds decorated around the centre circle and down the sides of the band.

“Oh,” he gulped. “You _are_ a present....You’re a very _special_ present...wow, what a beautiful ring.”

Harry started to walk towards the doorway, determined to meet the owner of the puppy and find Louis, too. He rounded the doorway to enter the main gym; stunned to find Louis on one knee by the desk; a huge banner hastily lashed up behind him.

WILL YOU MARRY ME?

Harry gasped, fingers pinching the ring he’d only just been admiring, keen to find the artist and show Louis what _he_ might like when they decided to...

 _Fuck_.

Louis was still waiting for him to speak.

“L-Lou?” He choked.

“I met a boy,” Louis began, lips tugging into a nervous smile. “Cute as can be.”

Harry’s breath drew fast into his body, the quietest gasp as Louis met his gaze, emboldened by his awe.

“I’m hopelessly devoted to you, Harry. _You’re_ the one that I want. My heart is set on _you_. And we...we're one of a kind. If we start believing now that we can be what we _are_...” Louis paused to swallow hard, flicking his fringe back as he lifted his chin nobly.

“Will you marry me, Harry?” Louis asked,  voice raspy with nerves.

“Yes!” Harry quickly made sure to say before he strode forward to pull Louis up and into his arms, the puppy carefully cradled between them while they shared a meaningful kiss. “Fucking hell, Lou,” he breathed as he pulled away, still in shock. “Fuck, _yes_.”

Louis beamed at him, tickling the puppy.

“You like him?”

“Lou, he's so beautiful,” Harry blinked away tears. “Will Bell be okay with him?”

“I checked to make sure they’re compatible,” Louis smiled through his own emotional tears. “He’s a working dog, just like Bell...”

“What's his name?” Harry asked avidly.

“That’s up to you,” Louis kissed him gently. “You get to decide.”

Harry stared at him, untying the ribbon to retrieve the ring.

“It’s so fucking perfect, Lou. I was coming to show you how pretty it was, so we could look for one like it when we—”

 “Surprise!” Louis smiled sheepishly. “It’s the heart chakra,” he explained as Harry slipped it on.

“It’s so beautiful.” Harry acknowledged on a thick throat, eyes sheened with tears.

“And we wouldn’t have found one like it,” Louis added gently. “I spent weeks designing it with a jeweller to get it just right...”

Harry shook his head, pulling him in for another soft kiss, lips meshing slowly to savour the feeling in the moment, as though neither of them wanted to let that feeling go.

He petted the now-sleepy puppy softly. “Can I call him Snowball?”

“Absolutely not,” Louis scoffed, earning a disgruntled pout from Harry.

“You said it was my choice.”

“There’s no way I’m shouting _Snowball_ when I take a mountain dog for a walk,” he teased.

“I think you’ll find you’ll have to because that’s all he’ll answer to,” Harry smiled smugly.

“Pretty sure I can train him to follow commands with a different name,” Louis boasted.

“What would you call him then?” Harry challenged. “I mean _Bell_ isn't exactly, you know...”

“Isn't _what_ , exactly?” Louis grumbled.

“Normal.” Harry blurted.

“Normal?” Louis repeated, flicking Harry’s hair. “Hush up, Curly. I can take that ring back, you know....”

“Heyyy,” Harry cupped his hand to protect his ring.  “That was mean.”

“Oh, and saying my dog isn't normal isn't mean at all,” Louis scoffed.

“I said his _name_ isn't normal,” Harry twisted away, subtly admiring his ring while he had his back to Louis. “Bell is in fact, the best dog in the world,” Harry stated.

“Well, that _is_ how we met, after all,” Louis mused. “When you tried to steal my dog...”

“You neglected him,” Harry retorted, with no bite. “He liked me better.”

Louis opened his mouth to argue and realised  Harry was right. Bell _did_ like Harry better. Maybe Louis could plot his revenge by secretly bonding with Snowball.

“Are you done clearing up?” He asked instead.

Harry dimpled and leaned in to kiss him softly on the mouth.

“ _There’s nothing left for me to do_ ,” he murmured, with a flirty waggle of his brows, hands sliding from Louis' waist to cup his ass. “You’re the one _I_ want, Lou. How about you ring _my_ bell?”

“We’ve got two mutts to gather up and feed before we can even _think_ about ringing any bells, love...” Louis sighed, resisting the warm temptation of Harry’s body weakly, his body tingling in response to Harry’s declaration.

Harry hummed, kissing him again.

“Pretty sure the boys can entertain themselves while I show you a few yoga moves,” Harry winked.

Louis made a face, grasping Harry's  arms gently and swiping his thumbs over his biceps.

“Not planning on doing much yoga if I’m honest, Haz,” Louis muttered, mostly to himself.

“I meant _I’d_ be doing yoga,” Harry leaned in, squeezing his bum as he whispered into his ear. “While _you_ fuck me...”

Louis had, over the last year, discovered the realm of Harry’s flexibility and he would be lying if he said it didn’t turn him on. Harry liked to take control in the bedroom, pinning Louis underneath him or having Louis mount his lap. But the suggestion of _Louis_ getting to fuck Harry was enticing and irresistible. It was a rare slice of dark temptation.

Louis shivered as Harry drew him into a deeper, hotter kiss, lips moving heavy and slow while his tongue licked into his mouth. Louis grasped the back of his neck and threaded his fingers into the soft thickness of his curls to grip them gently, tugging Harry’s mouth away from his to suck a burning bite into his throat.

He met his eyes which were dark with dilation.

“Get Bell,” he stated, softly with a _please_ breathed out after.

//

Harry showed him a range of poses he could bend himself into, each one more complex than the next, Louis knelt on the bed in eager anticipation.

“There’s the forward bend…or the downwards dog, like this...or what about a standing split?” He murmured as he expertly balanced one leg vertically while the rest of his body dipped down, hugging his planted leg.

“Er...what about on the bed, love?” Louis wondered,  intimidated by the standing poses.

Harry straightened slowly, long limbs bare and graceful as he loped over, dick standing upright to graze his belly. His smile was filthy and Louis had to fist himself as his breath caught just _watching_ him.

“Well…we’ve got the _happy baby_ ,” he lifted his feet and grabbed them with his hands. “Or perhaps the bridge,” he planted his feet and lifted his hips high, the flex of muscles in his hips and thighs earning a soft noise from Louis. His dick looked majestic pointed upwards; taut and thick.

“Buddha,” he breathed.

Harry smirked.

“I can hold it if you wanna try...”

Louis frowned a bit and twisted, nuzzling between Harry’s thighs to kiss them, sucking softly on the innermost skin before licking up his hard heat.

“Got anything, you know...softer?” He asked, timidly.

Harry blinked and pulled him down for a kiss.

“Need your fingers, Lou,” he begged throatily after a hot, tonguing kiss.

Louis began to finger him, twisting them inside and earning breathy gasps from Harry on the bed.

“Wait,” Harry grasped his wrist, an idea suddenly hitting him full force, like the edging waves of his orgasm building up.

“Hmm?” Louis brushed his bristle over Harry’s abdomen, kissing gently beside the burn.

“Fuck, stop distracting me,” Harry choked.

Louis leaned back and smiled innocently,  fingers wrapping around Harry’s dick to stroke.

“H-hey,” Harry threw his head back, knees drawing up and toes curling.

“I’m sorry, love? You were saying?”

“B-butterfly,” Harry stuttered,  moaning as Louis pressed a thumb to his rim.

“Yeah, butterfly,” Louis dipped to kiss his belly tattoo. “Beautiful,” he added in praise, wondering if Harry wanted that.

“N-no,” he murmured,  dragging his eyes open to stare at Louis with a breathless flush. “Reclining butterfly,” he managed to convey, sliding his arms above his head and folding them loosely. His feet pressed together as his calves overlapped Louis’ and his knees flopped outwards, flat against the bed.

_Oh._

Louis wanted to fuck him slowly enough to have those legs kicking out helplessly. He shifted, making it his mission to achieve. His hand stilled on Harry’s shaft as he just looked at him, throat bobbing tightly with his need.

“Perfect, love,” Louis breathed, protecting himself with a condom and lubing up.

He teased his palm delicately down Harry’s body, throat to navel,  gliding his fingers beneath his balls to push towards his hole, circling it achingly slow.

“Lou,” Harry’s hips shifted. “I’ll make a bridge in a minute if you don't--"

“Shh,” Louis pressed his other pointer finger over Harry’s lips. “Thought you were all about the ZEN, Haz? Hm? Tantra... sensuality...”

Harry eyed him curiously with a furrow of his brows.

“What?”

Louis smirked, slipping his fingers inside to feel Harry clench.

“Y-yeah, okay,” Harry ground out hoarsely. “Whatever you want, Lou.”

Louis smiled and curled his fingers out of the heat seizing them, coursing his hands up Harry’s thighs and settling them on the flesh at his hips.

“Good to go, Angel?”

Harry nodded, tremoring a little, hands shifting from above his head to touch Louis' shoulders while Louis eased himself in; breathing heavy and deep while Harry stretched around him.

“Mmm,” Harry cupped the back of his neck and relaxed his fingers into Louis' hair but as Louis shifted his weight forward onto his knees, he pressed Harry’s arms back against the bed, surging thickly into him with a hot but gentle thrust.

Harry fought the way his thighs curled upwards to hug Louis' hips, Louis deeply kissing his mouth as he settled inside him; one palm pressing his twitchy knee down against the mattress. The power of that move, the gentility in which Louis executed it, had Harry close to his edge already.

“Don’t move,” he begged, squeezing his eyes shut as several muscle groups in his body flickered: his thigh; forced back by Louis' hand, inside where Louis was deliciously embedded and at his weak spot, at the bottom of his ribcage where his waist began.

He sighed out, desperately trying to ease the spasms.

“Love, you’re making me want to finish this right now,” Louis panted against his jaw.

“Same,” Harry replied in his deepest voice, eyes flicking open. “Please don’t,” he added in a whisper.

Louis shifted; smooth, burning slide out, tender, intense thrust in. Harry caught his gaze this time and took a breath as he did it again.

“Really want to touch you,” Harry gravelled, fingers curling into his palms.

“Hold the headboard,” Louis murmured,  checking Harry’s face for compliance. “If you want to...”

Louis fucked into him again, gripping his hips.

Harry stretched his arms upwards to tangle his shaky fingers around the headboard rungs, focusing back on Louis with a sigh of relief. His skin shimmered with sweat, flushed with heat. Every muscle in his body felt taut and relaxed at the same time.

The position was one for rejuvenation, usually. It was calming and gentle. Harry knew, without the overwhelming bursts of pleasure that washed over him with each of Louis’ thrusts, that his prostate was stimulated in this pose. He knew all that and yet it was the hottest fucking sex he’d ever had.

Louis was easing so deep into him he began to lose track of reality, eyes slipping shut as he hooked one knee around Louis' waist when Louis wrapped his arms around him and kissed him again, deep flicks of his tongue stroking, like his lips, sensuously, the myriad of pleasurable feelings overwhelmed his senses.

“Oh God, oh, Lou,” he moaned throatily, gripping the board tightly with both hands, his dick burning against Louis' navel as he kissed him and fucked him heavy and sweet.

Harry felt like he was split open, chest broken wide to release every hot, pent-up coil springing for freedom, his core clenched around Louis' indescribably perfect shaft, the tiny tremors in his muscles giving in to the pressure that had been building up.

Harry stretched his torso long and wrapped his legs around Louis' waist as he came; sticky release shooting between their torsos among muted, breathless sounds of disbelief. When Louis kept fucking him to meet his own pinnacle, Harry felt every fevered thrust with a shiver of post-orgasmic pleasure, Louis collapsing  on top of him and sliding his arms more tightly around his waist as an anchor.

“I think....I think I could get to like yoga...” Louis vouched.

Harry made a noise and shifted slightly, arms taut where his fingers gripped the board.

“Oh, love,” Louis kissed him tenderly, helping him to free his limbs.

Harry slid them around Louis' shoulders once he was freed.

“Hmm,” Harry cradled him, legs still folded around his hips, tucking his nose against Louis' neck. “Nice chakras, by the way...”

Louis snorted, pulling back a little.

“Ready to let go?” he asked gently, helping Harry to unfold his shaky legs so that he could ease out of him.

“Never,” Harry told him anyway, hands purposefully staying on Louis' body while he moved to rid his condom.

Louis twisted back with messy hair and a smile, kissing Harry on the mouth which Harry greeted with a hand to his jaw.

Louis slid away to blow a raspberry on Harry’s belly with a wide,  happy grin.

“Are you getting mushy on me, love?”

“No,” Harry tried to deny it, but his giggle was telling. “Fuck, maybe, yeah,” he amended when Louis scratched his beard through his happy trail and over his hip tattoo.

“Yeah, you are,” Louis crawled back over him to kiss him some more. “I’m so fucking mushy for you, too,” his eyes twinkled as he spoke with an impish smile.

Harry blinked slowly, one foot curling around Louis’ leg to slide his knee up his thigh.

“You don’t _feel_ very mushy, Lou.”

Louis twisted a bit, rolling his eyes.

“Well you will be so irresistible, what’s a guy supposed to do?”

Harry’s heart beat slow and heavy in his chest, toes still curling from their sex and nerves still electrically alive. He shrugged one shoulder delicately.

“I mean...you could do it again,” he suggested, the picture of nonchalance. “If you wanted...”

Louis' lovely thick lashes flared with his eyes, dipping as he blinked, body pulsing back to life.

“I mean that was pretty intense,” he murmured, almost nervous of tainting the feeling burning in his heart.

He carefully tidied Harry’s hair from his face, curling his fingers around his tight bicep and sliding them down his arm.

Harry watched him, soft eyes and a smile to match.

“Love,” his voice was deep and scratchy over the endearment that Louis usually used. “C'mere,” Harry cuddled him in with a contented sigh. “I’m not over what just happened, “ he promised. “Just want to give you options, that’s all...”

Louis smiled, dick half hard where they were pressed together, Louis tracing the bones in his shoulder.

“I like options.”

“And yoga,” Harry kissed into his messy hair.

“Definitely yoga,” he smirked.

Harry shifted, gently rolling over until he was on top of Louis, one slender leg threaded between his. He met Louis' gaze and held it, dipping to kiss his lips.

“One day I want Snowball and Bell to have little people to play with,” Harry murmured,  his dimples hinting in his cheeks.

“Yeah?” Louis lifted his chin a bit, hands cradling Harry’s waist, thumbs grooving along his dainty ribs, digging gently in to his weak spot.

“Yeah,” Harry nodded, hair flopping into his face. His kiss-swollen lip was caught by his teeth. “Do you want that too, Lou?”

“Yes, of course,” Louis lifted a hand to cup his jaw, rising off the bed enough to kiss him. “Absolutely.”

Harry’s slow, elated smile was response enough.

“You know what the means don’t you?” Louis asked.

Harry’s brows furrowed, lashes nearly meshing as he narrowed his eyes, knee nudging up against Louis' thigh.

“No?”

“Once we have kids we'll have no time to have sex and we can’t be loud anymore...so we should probably fuck as much as we can now, huh?”

Harry took a minute to follow the meaning of his words, blinking twice and catching his breath when it sank in.

Louis arched his hips, hardened length squished between their bodies.

“Your turn, love,” he winked.

The way Harry’s lips pulled into a lopsided smile and his eyes sparkled before he shifted to dip lower on the bed, told Louis that wasn’t a challenge he should have made lightly.

 

_The End_

 

 

_Reference Guide:_


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